The White Daisy
by ScarletHawthorne
Summary: Arizona's life turns upside down when her brother disappears, leaving her with his young daughter. Can a stranger pick up the broken pieces of her heart and put her back together again? A story of generosity, stolen glances and love at first sight. Will eventually deserve the M rating, be patient and love will follow.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Arizona Robbins tossed and turned in her huge King-sized bed. Her brain wouldn't slow down long enough for her to fall asleep, as she contemplated the last year. Once upon a time, Arizona was single, free and she felt young and sexy, accomplished and powerful, and loved her life in the city of Seattle. All of that had changed just over a year ago. Her brother Timothy was missing. The single father of one had disappeared off the face of the earth. Tim was a young ex-marine who fell in love with Ava, a girl just as young, who had big wings in a small town just outside of Seattle. Not long after the birth of their daughter Josephine, Ava left a short note and nothing else, packed up and left the pair of them alone. Tim, although heartbroken, had really stepped up to the plate. He occasionally had asked Arizona for help, particularly if he had to work, but otherwise grew up fast. He left the marines, got a job as a mechanic, started early and got home early enough to pick his beloved Josie up from school.

Then, one year ago, out of the blue, Arizona got a phone call that changed her life. Josephine's school called asking if Arizona would pick up little eight year old Josephine, as Tim never arrived and wasn't answering his phone. Although worried, she hadn't panicked too badly at first. Sure it was out of character for Tim not to be there to pick up Josephine, but he would never have left her there on purpose, and that he probably had a flat tyre or had to work late. But that night, Arizona called her parents and the police, as dinner time came and went without a phone call or any sign of Tim. A few weeks later, they found Tim's car by the side of the road, with all personal items taken, and still no sign of Tim.

At first, Josephine had stayed with Arizona's parents, who lived a few hours out of town on the farm. But it became clear that although they adored their darling granddaughter, they were simply too old to be parenting a young child all over again. Josie also missed her friends and her teachers and Seattle. Arizona had stepped up. She was far from ready for a child, and she was unprepared for the extent that her life would change. She took an indefinite sabbatical from her job as Head of Paediatric Surgery at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, and used that time to spend getting Josephine accustomed to a new life without either of her parents. But it had also meant an end to nights out on the town, dates with beautiful women and certainly no sex, as she was too worried that having anyone around the house might frighten or upset Josie.

These days, she felt lonely most nights, and tonight was no different. Arizona craved human affection and the touch of a beautiful woman. She missed Tim, her best friend in the world, the one person she could tell anything to. She was also so ready to go back to work. She missed surgery, she missed her colleagues and her friends, and she missed the children she worked with, she missed saving lives. She needed to go back to work.

Arizona threw back the quilt on her bed and switched on her lamp. All she needed, to be able to go back to work, was someone to be able to be able to pick up Josie after school care, take her home and stay with her for the evening just in case Arizona's surgeries ran late. She could schedule her surgeries to make sure that she was home no later than eight o'clock on an average day, so she would be able to be home to tuck Josie into bed most nights. She could even have a live-in sitter; she had a small flat and the back of her property that she built for when her parents came to visit. Arizona got up and crossed the room to her desk and opened her laptop, and searched for the website for her local newspaper. Finding the link she needed, she began typing out an ad.

_Nanny required for nine year old girl. Mostly evening work, additional housework help would be appreciated. Free and private accommodation can be included if desired. Pay negotiable._

And after adding contact information, she shut the laptop, turned off the lamp and promptly fell asleep, dreaming of strolling down the halls of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital once again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Callie Torres was awake early and she was not happy about it. This was highly unusual for her to be up so early, as sleep was her favourite pastime. But she was up and at the gym closest to her university dorm room, punching the crap out of a punching bag. She was mad. Her mother and father had come down for a surprise weekend visit. The surprise part was walking in on Callie in bed with another woman. Callie was mad that she hadn't been able to tell her parents on her own terms. She was also mad that she had accidently come out for a woman that was nothing more than a one night stand, as enjoyable as it had been. But she was mostly pissed because her parents had yelled, screamed, cried and in the end denied to understand or accept her lifestyle. Her father, Carlos, had informed her that they could not be a part of each other's lives until Callie changed her ways.

She finished up with the punching bag and took a quick shower, before heading out to her favourite coffee place right around the corner. She ordered a coffee and an omelette and sat down with her cell phone. Not one single text message or email from her family. Not even her sister, which hurt them most.

As the waitress came out with her breakfast, she grabbed a paper to have something to read about to get her mind off her family and her foul mood. Soon enough her mind drifted and she decided to send her sister Aria an email. She began typing away furiously on her cell phone.

_Aria,_

_I do not understand why I haven't at least heard from you. I thought our relationship was better than this? I've always been able to talk to you before. Is the family stopping you? Is our father stopping you? _

_Please be on my side Aria. I need you more now than ever, and I don't know if I will get through this without you._

_Love, Callie._

Callie sent the email and then picked up the newspaper and her gym stuff and went to the counter to pay.

"I'm sorry love, but this credit card has been declined", said the older woman at the counter. Callie frowned, never having had this problem before. She shrugged, assuming something was wrong at the bank, and gave the lady another card her father had given her instead.

"I'm sorry, but this one is declining as well", the woman said sympathetically. "Do you want me to try it again, or do you have any cash on you?"

Callie's stomach flipped. Two cards was not a coincidence. She had been cut off. Just as she was about to start panicking, a deep voice spoke quietly over her shoulder.

"I've got it love", and she turned to see her best friend Mark Sloan handing a twenty dollar note to the woman at them counter. "Come on Callie, let's go somewhere to talk", Mark whispered to Callie, reading the panic and hurt across her face, knowing that she was either about to bust out with angry Spanish rambling or tears, neither of which the public was ready for.

Callie managed to keep it together until Mark aided her into his car and shut the door. She burst into tears. "What am I going to do Mark?" she croaked as Mark slid into the driver's seat next to her. "Shh honey, it's going to be okay" Mark put his arms around her and pulled her close. He really loved and cared for the girl more than anyone else in his life, they had a strange but yet magical bond that had never been sexual, but just easy. "It is not going to be okay Mark", Callie whimpered. "I am broke! If I have been cut off, I have no money! Like zero! I don't have a job, no income, nothing! How am I going to pay my way through medical school! Let alone eat or pay rent!"

Mark looked at his friend and his heart broke. Callie didn't deserve this treatment from her family. She was as good as a person could be, studying to be a doctor so she could save lives, hardly ever spent her free time doing anything but volunteer community work, and he had witnessed on many occasions her generosity with friends and strangers. The money she received from her father was quite substantial, but the only time she was ever extravagant with her money was to help someone out.

"So we get you a job", Mark replied as he held her close and rubbed her back. "You get an evening or night job so you can stay in school, and I will do my best to help you in the meantime. You can even crash at my tiny apartment until you get on your feet". Callie looked up in surprise. She knew Mark was her best friend, and a wonderful person, but she hadn't expected that someone outside of her family would so easily help her. "Thank you Mark", she sobbed and buried her face into his neck. "I promise it won't be for long, just until I work something out".

"Let's get you back to the dorm so you can grab your stuff, and we will get you back to mine so that we can work out a plan. You can stay with me as long as you need to". Mark started the car and drove Callie back to the dorm.

Later that afternoon, after a long nap on Mark's couch, she woke to Mark opening the door to his apartment. "Hey sleepyhead", he whispered. "I went down to the university and sorted everything out with your dorm and the university has given you a week of to sort something out". He put down a stack of notes in front of her. "I photocopied all my notes so you won't fall behind" he said as he handed her a double shot latte, just like she liked it. Callie opened her mouth to thank him, but Mark spoke again. "I also have something for you that I know is going to be hard to accept, but I want you to anyway", he said as he avoided eye contact, and shoved an envelope into her hands. "You take this please without an argument. You can give it back to me when you get back on your feet".

Callie peeked into the envelope and saw what had to be at least five hundred dollars in it. She looked at Mark and sobbed. "I don't know what I did to get you as a best friend Mark", she swallowed thickly and balled up on the couch, the weight of everything hitting her at once. "Hey hey hey, now none of that Callie" Mark exclaimed. "You think I don't notice how good you are to other people and me in particular, Callie? It's about time someone else helped YOU out for once. You will get through this, and I will do whatever I can to make it better for you". He cuddled up to her and fished out the newspaper Callie had bought earlier that morning, and pressed it into her hands. "I have an idea", he said as he rose off the couch. "I'm going to get that bottle of tequila I have tucked away for occasions such as this, and we are going to get stupid drunk and look for jobs for you". He threw her a big red marker and shuffled off to the kitchen to find the tequila.

Callie flipped to the job section of the newspaper, resting the marker between her lips and pouted. Most of the jobs being advertised seemed to be unsuitable for someone who spent their daytime studying medicine. She took a deep breath and started circling.

Four tequila shots later and her and Mark were giggling like school girls. She felt the best she had felt all day. "I am not supposed to say this, as I am your best friend and therefore am not allowed to view you as attractive in that way, but all else fails, you would be an amazing stripper!" Callie giggled at that. "Yeah right Mark! I love to dance but come on. I don't have the confidence for that kind of gig!" she laughed harder, trying to imagine herself in that position. "I would be the most awkward stripper!"

"Oh well it was worth a shot!" Mark laughed. "You'd rake in the dollars big time if you did". "Seriously though Mark, I have gone through at least forty ads so far, and only two of them are remotely suitable for a medical student!" She frowned, not quite drunk enough to forget the seriousness of the situation. "You'll find something love", Mark replied and he pulled himself off the couch. "Keep looking! I have to go to bed because unlike somebody I know; I have to go to class tomorrow". He bent down, kissed the top of her head and shuffled off towards his room.

Callie took another shot and returned her attention to the newspaper. She sat there for another hour, and just as she was about to call it a night, one ad caught her attention.

_Nanny required for nine year old girl. Mostly evening work, additional housework help would be appreciated. Free and private accommodation can be included if desired. Pay negotiable._

She tore it out of the newspaper, put it in her purse and hoped to God it was suitable for her. Tucking herself under a blanket, she fell into a drunken rest, praying tomorrow would be better, even if she had a supreme hangover.


	3. Chapter 3

_****Author's note: This story will take a while. I don't want to rush them. There will be a lot of dancing around each other, but they will get there. Hang in there and wait for it, trust me, it'll be worth it. Also, there will be smut, but like most things, it will also worth the wait. From this chapter on, I will post a new song at the beginning of each chapter, so you get the idea of the playlist that inspires this love story. Feel free to review, let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy!****_

Chapter 3:

_Song: Fever Dream- Iron & Wine._

Arizona was not having a good day. The ad she had posted had received a fair few hits, and she had begun interviewing the potential nannies who had responded. So far, they had all been undesirable for her darling Josie. Some seemed too strict, some seemed far too relaxed and one woman had come with a Bible, telling Arizona that children needed to brought up strictly with constant religious study. She quickly, but politely shuffled the woman out the door and sat with her head in her hands. Maybe it was a sign that she shouldn't go back to work yet, she thought. She picked up her keys, realising that she had to pick Josie up from school and made her way out the door.

She waited patiently outside of her car, away from the other gossiping mothers and looked at her watch. She hated being late to pick up Josie, as she didn't want her to stress, but also hated being early, as that meant she had to suffer the looks the other mothers threw her way, and the gossip directed at her that was not quiet enough for her not to hear. The bell rang and she saw Josie run across the schoolyard. "Hey there Josie Bear!", she said as Josie jumped into her arms. "How was school today?"

Josie clambered into her seat in the back of the car and was very quiet. "What is the matter my Josie Bear?" Arizona asked as she started the car. "Sarah was mean to me today", Josie said as she bit her lip. She saw that her aunty tried so hard to make her happy, and she felt bad whenever she was unhappy. They didn't talk much about her parents, as it seemed to painful a topic for both of them, not wanting to make the other upset, they often avoided the topic. "She said that I am strange because her mummy said that I don't have any parents and that I live with my lesbian aunty". Arizona choked on the coffee she was sipping as she drove . "I don't know what lesbian means Aunty Arizona, but I think she meant something mean and she might be right. I must be strange if neither of my parents want me". Josie started to cry.

Arizona pulled the car over abruptly and got out of her seat and into the back with Josie. "Oh honey, come here", she whispered as she pulled Josie into a hug. "You are not strange for one", she said. "You are by far the coolest kid I know! They just aren't cool enough to have figured that out yet honey". She braced herself, knowing that this was one conversation that she couldn't avoid this time. "And you were never unwanted. Both your Daddy and your Mommy wanted you so badly. But your Mommy was confused baby. She was scared that she wouldn't be good enough for you, so she left. We don't really know why, but she definitely wanted you. I remember when she was pregnant with you, she was so happy, but just so scared honey".

Arizona tightened her grip on the young girl who had become the centre of her world. "And as for your Daddy, he loved you so very much Josie. He would never have left you willingly. We don't know what happened to him, and every day we try to find him. We just have to hope that he is out there somewhere, trying to find his way back to us okay baby?" she bit her lip, holding back the tears threatening to spill. "How about we go home and have breakfast for dinner to cheer us both up?" Josie perked up a little bit at this and asked, "Can we have pancakes and maple bacon?" Arizona smiled. "Yep! We can even have chocolate topping!"

Arizona got back into the driver's seat and attempted to control her own feelings. She was not expecting this to happen today. "What does lesbian mean Aunty Arizona?" Josie asked matter-of -factly. Arizona took a deep breath, having hoped she could avoid that discussion, and as she took off from the curb, she decided to tell the truth, but just in a simple way. "Well Josie..." she began and explained as best she could. Surprisingly, Josie had far less questions than she thought and seemed to accept her explanation without fuss.

Arizona parked her car and held Josie's hand and she walked up the driveway. As she approached the door, she realised a young woman was knocking on her door. "Hello there, can I help you?" she asked. The woman turned around and for a moment, Arizona felt a shift in her world as she made eye contact with what appeared to be the most stunningly, albeit young, woman she had ever seen. Startled, the woman began to ramble. "Uh yes, I am looking for Arizona Robbins, who posted the ad in the paper? I am probably too late anyway, but I really think I could be good for the job you know?"

Arizona smiled. "You aren't too late." She opened the front door. "Please, come in".


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

_****Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! It is very encouraging. calzonafan123 and guest, Callie is 26, turning 27. I am allowing for the idea that Callie didn't go to med school straight away because I don't want the age gap to big too big between them, and I'm also accounting for the time that Callie took to go to Botswana before med school. Arizona is 34. Young for a Department Head, but I wanted her to come across as though she was super successful at an early age.****_

_Song: Down the Line- Jose Gonzalez_

Callie walked nervously through the door. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had made eye contact with the most beautiful, blonde haired, blue eyed woman she assumed to be Arizona Robbins and felt something she couldn't explain. Although she was nervous, she suddenly had the feeling that this was where she was supposed to be. She looked in to her eyes and felt a sense of home.

Shaking it off, she gently placed her handbag by the door and turned to face Arizona again. "Just let me get young Josie here set up in her playroom, and then we can talk" Arizona said as she walked Josie out of the entrance hall and up the stairs. "Please take a seat in the living room" she called as she ascended the staircase.

Arizona tried to collect herself. She wanted to hire this stranger on the spot. She shook her head as she set Josie up with her favourite movie and left the play room. "You can't hire someone just because they are the first beautiful woman you have seen in a year", she thought to herself, and promised herself that she would be professional about this, as if she were hiring a new doctor or intern at the hospital.

She walked back into the living room to see this stranger perched on her couch, wringing her hands in her lap. Arizona nearly melted on the spot, the nervousness the woman displayed was the cutest thing she had ever seen, and she spent most of her time with her nine year old niece.

Callie looked up and stood as she noticed Arizona had re-entered the room. "Hi, my name is Callie. Callie Torres. Well Calliope, but no one calls me that" she rambled as she gave herself an internal forehead slap, knowing her nervousness would make her appear silly or foolish, or at the very least would not help her get the job.

"Hi Calliope. I'm Arizona. Tell me a little about yourself". Arizona drank in every word Callie said, as she began explaining a bit about herself. She was impressed by the woman, and not just because she was beautiful. Callie seemed intelligent and somewhat experienced for a young woman, like she knew a lot about people. Arizona looked over her outfit, telling herself that she needed to check if she looked professional, while secretly checking her out. Callie was dressed in a wonderful pair of black skinny jeans that looked like they were made purely for her, and a Peter Pan collared blouse teamed with a blazer. Although Callie was covered up quite conservatively, Arizona could see she had the most wonderful figure. She also had the most gorgeous skin, beautiful, long brown hair and expressive dark brown eyes.

Arizona realised she had neglected the conversation as her ears perked up when Callie said "I'm also a medical student. I'm in my final year. You may think that this would interfere with my ability to nanny, but I only have classes during the days, and can study in the evenings, after you arrive home of course. Presuming I get the job. Not that I am presuming but…"

Arizona giggled. This woman was just unbelievable. She wanted her. But she was also the best candidate she had seen all day to look after Josie. She had a stroke of brilliance. "How about we have a trial week? You can see if this doesn't affect your studies, while I can see whether you are as suitable for the job as you appear to be? And then if all goes well, you can move in to the flat we have just out back, if you wanted to live here, that is?" Arizona knew that this trial was more for her than for Callie or for Josie. She knew it was selfish, but she wanted to see if she could have Callie around and not try to jump her bones. If she couldn't, she knew that it wouldn't be suitable for Callie to stay Josie's nanny. But she wanted to try. "How about you stay for dinner and meet Josie properly? We are having breakfast for dinner", she smiled brightly.

Callie swooned. This woman had the most incredible smile. She took a deep breath, accepted and spent the night getting to know Arizona and Josie, and spent a great deal of time trying not to check Arizona out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

_Song: Fast Car- Tracey Chapman_

Arizona was back at work. She had successfully not seduced her niece's nanny on her trial week, and had decided to hire Callie and so here she was, first day back. She was truly happy for the first time in a long time, and not just because she was back at work. Something about Callie's presence in her home had changed both Arizona and Josie for the better. Callie doted on Josie as if she were her own, but didn't let the young girl have her way all the time. Josie seemed to really enjoy Callie. She was smiling and seemed to almost be back to the happy little girl Arizona knew before Tim had disappeared.

And she was good at making Arizona happy too. Having an adult around made the world of difference to Arizona. Callie may be young, but she was interesting. She had travelled and told Arizona stories of her trip to Botswana as a member of the Peace Corps, which Arizona found both intriguing and absolutely endearing. In fact, the two had spent hours after Josie had gone to bed, talking about anything and everything.

Callie was also incredibly sweet, Arizona had found. She ducked out one evening to do groceries and errands (also testing how Callie and Josie would fare on their own), and had come home to find her favourite food cooking on the stove for dinner. She suspected Callie had asked Josie what Arizona's favourite dish was, and the fact that Callie was an incredible cook had Arizona sold.

She walked into her first patient's room and went over the procedure that was about to take place with his parents. She was excited, rather than nervous to step back into the OR, and the surgery she had was a big one. Her patient was a five year old boy who had suffered heart problems since birth. She was also excited to be in on a surgery with her best friend, a cardio surgeon named Theodora Altman, or Teddy as she was affectionately nicknamed. She left after reassuring the parents and began to scrub and prep for the surgery.

Two hours later, halfway through the surgery, Teddy and Arizona were having quite the catch up. Teddy didn't miss the look on her friend's face as she spoke of Calliope, the nanny she had hired for Josie. In fact, they had been there for two hours, and apart from discussing the surgery, Calliope was all her friend had talked about.

"You're sweet on her, aren't you? " Teddy interrupted as Arizona rambled about Callie. "What! Oh god no Teddy! She's Josie's nanny!" Arizona defended. It didn't matter what Arizona said though. The blush that crept over Arizona's neck and face told Teddy that she was, in fact, correct. "Yes you totally are!" Teddy exclaimed. "We are absolutely going to Joe's for a drink after this surgery, you are going to spill and I won't take no for an answer young lady!"

Arizona's blush only deepened and she knew that there was no getting out of telling Teddy the truth. She asked a nurse to text Callie to ask if she would mind if she returned a little later, and when Callie had accepted, she grumbled to Teddy that she won.

After a few drinks at Joe's and a highly embarrassing discussion with Teddy, Arizona finally walked in the door of her home to find Callie reading quietly on her lounge. Callie looked up from her book and smiled widely, a smile that made Arizona's heart swell. "What a lovely smile to come home to", Arizona said as she leaned against the door frame. Not skipping a beat, Callie replied with sparkling eyes, "It's hard not to smile when you walk in the door".

Arizona moved across the room and sat next to Callie, feeling uncontrollably drawn to her. When she got closer, she realised how tired Callie looked. "Josie didn't misbehave, did she? You look exhausted!"

"Oh gosh no, Arizona! She's an angel. I'm just not looking forward to the drive home", she lied, covering up the fact that she was so stressed. The money situation was much better, thanks to the generous pay she had received from her first week of looking after Josie, but living and sleeping on Mark's couch was becoming difficult. She missed her bed, which was currently being stored in Mark's garage, and she felt like she hadn't slept properly since she left her dorm.

Arizona knew that it was more than that, but decided that Callie would have told her if Josie had misbehaved, meaning that Callie was worried about something else. "Well how would you feel about moving into the flat? I can help you move your things tomorrow if you are at all interested?" Arizona hoped Callie would want to move in. The worst part of her day was when Callie went home and she would be far more content knowing that Callie was only a few metres away, rather than across town.

Callie smiled. "I would actually love that. I don't know if I could deal with spending too many more nights on my best friend's couch." Arizona frowned. She didn't know that Callie had been spending her nights like that when she could have already had a place to stay. She decided against prying into the reasons behind Callie's living situation and instead said "Well tomorrow it is. We can get you moved in no problem, if you think you can get someone to help us with any heavy lifting?"

Callie knew Mark would help, and would most likely be grateful to have his couch back, though he would never say so. "Absolutely, no problem. Thank you for this Arizona", and she sent another of her sparkling smiles in Arizona's direction. "But I best be getting back now, if I have any chance of getting up early enough to get everything ready to go."

Arizona walked her to the front door, feeling somewhat grateful that this would be the last time she would have to let Callie walk out and go home. She knew that she shouldn't be having feelings like this for Callie, but she just couldn't help it. It just felt like Callie belonged here, with her and Josie. She went up to her room and realised that Callie had washed and changed her sheets for her. Internally thanking Callie for her thoughtfulness, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, dreaming about Callie.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

_Song: There She Goes-Sixpence None The Richer_

Callie woke up early and was happy about it. Mark couldn't believe how happy his best friend was, and suspected that it had a lot to do with this Arizona woman and her kid, but he kept his mouth shut. Callie would tell him when she was ready. He was happy to know that he would be getting his couch back too. Not that he minded terribly, it was more because he felt guilty that Callie had to sleep there rather than a proper bed. He had wanted to ask her to share his bed, but hadn't wanted it to come across as a proposition. Mark was a player. He knew it. Callie knew it, and so did most girls on campus. But Callie was different. He would never cross that line with Callie, she meant far more to him than she probably knew, and he would never jeopardise what they had for sex, as glorious as he imagined it would be. Things would change, and he would never let that happen.

They went to class with the plan that they would return early to get Callie's belongings together for the move. Mark had borrowed a friend's truck, and would be driving it across town to Arizona's home, while Callie picked up Josie from school and then to wait for Arizona to come by after work with her SUV to pack the rest of her belongings in, and Callie would pick her own car up the following day after classes. Callie and Josie didn't have to wait long, and soon they arrived at Arizona's.

Mark had already unloaded Callie's furniture and was getting ready to leave. He glanced at Arizona and instantly new that his suspicions that Arizona was the reason Callie was so happy were right on the money. Arizona was obviously hot. Like super hot. But that wasn't what confirmed it. He watched the way they interacted, the way they walked together, with Josie in between them and saw it. They had IT. That thing that people have when they find that one person they are supposed to be with. They just had to realise it. He had felt it before with his ex-girlfriend Lexie, whom he still pined after but could not be with, as she had gotten into a different university, halfway across the country.

Normally, he would have hit on Arizona instantly, his ego would have not been deterred by possibility that Arizona did not sleep with men. But he saw the way Callie looked at her and knew that this was one woman he couldn't hit on. Maybe one day, if he got to know Arizona better, he could pretend flirt with her, hopefully annoying both women. With that thought, he kissed the top of Callie's head and left with a smile.

Arizona unlocked the front door and set Josie up with a new Disney DVD that she had bought her that day, knowing that it would leave time for Callie to unpack. She led Callie down the path to her flat and gave her a key. "This is your home now Callie", she said as she opened the door and stepped away to let Callie investigate her new home. It was simple, cottage like, but with plenty of room for one person. "Neither Josie or I will interrupt you or visit you here unless you ask us to. I want you to go ahead and decorate it as you wish; I want you to feel like this is home". She smiled as she watched Callie flop down on the bed that Mark had kindly already set up for her.

"Thank you Arizona. This is more wonderful than I imagined. But you and Josie can come any time, I won't mind", and Callie looked up at Arizona, trying not to look too hopeful that Arizona would find an excuse to come visit her in the flat. She realised quickly that Arizona was staring at her. Then she realised that the position she was lying in, propped up on her elbows, gave Arizona a clear view of her cleavage. And Arizona was so distracted by it, she hadn't realised that she had been caught staring. Slowly, Callie rose off the bed and walked over to where Arizona was hovering in her doorway. She stopped just as she got close to her and Arizona finally looked up and made eye contact. Before Arizona had time to look ashamed that she had probably been caught staring at the other woman's cleavage, Callie pulled her into a soft hug. It caught Arizona off guard but she sank into it, realising that apart from Josie, she hadn't been hugged in a very long time. They held on to each other for a few long moments, enjoying the contact. Arizona couldn't help herself and nuzzled into Callie, inhaling her scent, and exhaling with tears. Callie soon realised that Arizona was crying, and broke apart the hug, but kept and hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles across her spine.

Arizona quickly wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry Calliope; I didn't mean to cry on you. I just haven't been hugged in a very long time by anyone but Josie. I think I really needed that." Callie just smiled and continued the soothing back rub. "It's okay Arizona. Josie has told me a bit about what the two of you have been through the past year, and I think it's okay to need a hug or two after that. In fact, you can have a hug anytime you need one; I think I am particularly good at hugging."

Arizona giggled nervously and let her hand drop at the same time Callie's dropped from the back rub. Their hands brushed briefly and then Callie took it and squeezed. "I'm here for you Arizona. I know I'm your employee, but I feel like I am also your friend. Remember that."

"Thank you. It is so wonderful having you around. Goodnight Calliope".

"Goodnight Arizona".

And with that, Arizona fled back to the house before she ended up staying in Callie's arms for the rest of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

_Song: Stay- Rihanna & Mikky Ekko_

Callie woke up to see the most beautiful view outside of the window of her flat. It was a wonderful Spring Saturday, and the sun was shining. The trees outside her window were blossoming with pretty flowers, and she sat at her window seat, just appreciating how beautiful it was, and how happy she was. Callie had been staying with Arizona and Josie for over a month now, and she couldn't remember a time where she had been happier. Josie was easily the best behaved and most gorgeous nine year old Callie had ever met, and Callie adored her. She also secretly adored Arizona. Every night since the night Arizona had cried into Callie's neck, Arizona would timidly approach Callie at bed time for a good night hug. It was the only time she let Callie have a glimpse at the sadness and pain she was going through. Callie got the feeling that the daily hugs truly meant a lot to Arizona, but secretly Callie looked forward to that moment all day, every day. The rest of the time she spent with Arizona was spent stealing glances and exchanging brief "accidental" touches.

Callie decided that such a beautiful day should not be wasted, and that she wanted to do something special for Arizona and Josie, even though she wasn't technically working. Arizona had been incredibly stressed lately, and Callie knew it. She hadn't pushed her to tell her why, but on more than one occasion, Callie had caught Arizona with her head in her hands. Callie desperately wanted to make her feel better, even if she didn't know why she was so stressed. Looking at her watch, she realised that she had plenty of time, as both Josie and Arizona were well known for their Saturday sleep in. She got dressed in a beautiful white cotton dress that showed off her tanned skin and long legs and headed off to the local grocery shop. She bought a large selection of fruit, bagels, waffles and various other delicious breakfast foods and made her way back to Arizona's home. She decided to set up breakfast on a picnic table in the back yard. She laid out a white table cloth, placed a bunch of flowers in the middle of the table and got to work getting the food ready. Surveying her work, Callie thought it looked beautiful, but that it was missing something. Getting an idea, she got to work on the final touches of her surprise for the girls.

Half an hour later, Arizona woke up, stretching as she looked out her window and was surprised to see Callie already awake, in her backyard. Squinting sleepily, she realised that Callie had set up a table out the back. Smiling, she watched Callie in her beautiful cotton dress amongst the flowers and sunshine, and decided that she had never seen such a beautiful sight in all her life. She decided to get Josie up quickly and get them both ready for what looked like a beautiful morning in the sun.

Holding Josie's hand, Arizona walked out her back door, approaching Callie, who had a sheepish smile on her face. "What's all this Calliope?" Arizona asked.

"I decided you pretty ladies deserved a little treat today. So I made us a breakfast picnic in the sun! Here and these are for you ladies", she said, handing both Arizona and Josie a single white daisy each. Both of the blondes smiled widely at each other and ran in to give Callie a hug. "This looks absolutely amazing Calliope, thank you" said Arizona, as she sat down and realised just how beautiful the day was. "Thank you Callie, this looks yum!" said Josie, as she joined her aunty, and all three got started on a beautiful breakfast.

Arizona and Callie sat across from eat other as they ate, both listening to Josie chatter about anything and everything. Every now again, their eyes would meet and the two would exchange small smiles, and get lost in each other's eyes.

"I'm so full!" Josie flopped in her seat, unknowingly interrupting the staring competition between the two adults at the table. "Well there is one more surprise for the both of you this morning, pretty ladies", Callie said as she stood and walked over to a large bucket filled with a soapy liquid and dragged it slowly towards the table. "I made us giant bubble maker!" Callie motioned for Josie to join her, and showed her how to carefully dip a twisted wire coat hanger in the solution and how to move it to make a giant bubble, which wobbled close to Arizona's head and popped. All three giggled and took turns dipping the hangers into the solution and trying to make the biggest bubbles and played in the sun most of the day, just enjoying each other's company.

Later that night, Arizona sat nervously on her front patio, twisting a cigarette between her fingers as she debated on whether or not to smoke it. She had put Josie to bed reasonably early, as the day Callie had planned in the back yard had worn her out. Arizona smiled thinking about how Callie did thoughtful things like that. She had saved the white daisy Callie had given her. Right now it was alone in a glass beside her bed. She figured that just before it got too old, she would press it in her diary and keep it forever. It felt like her most treasured possession. It's as if Callie knew just how stressed Arizona was, and was doing everything she could to make it easier. She was going far beyond her job as a nanny. Somehow though, it felt like Callie being with them had jump started a new life for them.

The thing that was stressing Arizona out though, was the police. The police had contacted her saying that they had new leads for information about what may have happened to Tim. They weren't very forthcoming with the information they had found, but Arizona deduced that the police had a reason for this. She had not told Josie, or her parents, at least she wouldn't unless some really solid information came up. She didn't want to get their hopes up. Deep down, in her heart of hearts, she did not believe Tim was safe, and was not even certain he was alive. He would never have left her or Josie willingly. She hadn't even shared this information with Callie. Part of the reason for this was because she did not want Josie to hear. But another part of her wanted to protect herself from Callie. Callie seemed wonderful. But Arizona was scared that if she opened up to Callie, Callie might leave, maybe go look for a job with less emotional baggage. Arizona wasn't sure she could watch one more person walk out of her life. Or Josie's for that matter.

But god, Arizona wanted to be close to her. Arizona was desperate to be close to Callie, both emotionally and physically. She held back, only because of this need to protect herself and Josie. But sitting alone on the swing on her patio, fiddling with a cigarette felt worse. She tucked the cigarette behind her hair and pulled out her phone. She had promised Callie that she wouldn't visit the flat unless asked, but she wanted her company. So she opened up a new text and began typing.

_A: Hi Calliope. I was wondering, if you weren't busy or anything, whether you mind if I came down to visit you in the flat? Or if you want to join me on the patio? Either way, I have wine. Both red and white! __ X_

Arizona's thumb hovered and lingered over the send button. She felt like it might be a little inappropriate in theory, to want to spend time with Callie outside of her work hours. Or to have the feelings and thoughts about Callie that she frequently had. But then she only had to spend five minutes with Callie, and it felt so right. She took a deep breath and bit the bullet. She pressed send and then waited with baited breath.

Callie was studying at her desk in her flat. Or at least she was trying to anyway. Her mind kept drifting off to Arizona. There was something about Arizona that made Callie's heart race. She tried so hard to keep her feelings in check. She couldn't afford to jeopardise her job, and she didn't want Arizona to be uncomfortable. But sometimes it was so hard not to reach out and touch her, hold her, comfort her. She knew that Arizona was broken. She knew parts of the story of Arizona's brother, thanks to Josie, but she knew she didn't have the full story. Still, she had decided against pushing Arizona to tell her. She figured if Arizona trusted her enough to talk about it, she would.

Callie also thought about her family. She still hadn't heard a word from any member of her family, not even her sister. She had stopped caring about the money side of the situation a long time ago, and now was just hurt. She couldn't understand what was so wrong about her sexuality. Callie tended to think it was a compliment to her character, that she was able to fall in love with someone regardless of their gender. It was something she was proud of. She couldn't understand why her family couldn't understand that.

Callie's phone beeped on her desk. She contemplated ignoring it, but realised it might be Mark, and with that she reached over to read the text message. Her heart skipped a beat when she realised it was Arizona. She smiled widely when she opened it and saw that Arizona wanted to spend time with her. She quickly typed a reply.

_C: Hi Arizona. You don't need to ask, I told you. How about I join you on the porch? I need to take a break from studying anyway. Crack open that bottle of red- I'll be there in a minute. X_

Callie jumped up and checked her appearance in the mirror. She was still wearing the white cotton dress, and she decided against changing. Instead, she grabbed a black leather jacket from the closet and pulled it on, just in case it was cool on the patio.

She walked the short path to the back door and made her way out to the front patio. Arizona was sitting on the swing, with two bottles of wine and glasses. She motioned for Callie to sit next to her, and she poured Callie a glass of red, and poured herself a glass of white. Callie sat and gratefully accepted the glass. She felt nervous, but promised herself she wouldn't drink it too quickly in case she made a fool of herself.

"Thank you for joining me Calliope" Arizona said with a big smile. "It's too beautiful an evening to spend alone."

"No thank you Arizona. I really needed a break from studying, and this is the perfect excuse". They chatted for a while, just sitting on the swing, enjoying the wine and each other's company.

Callie studied Arizona's face. She was so stunning, but Callie could see the rings around her eyes, and knew she hadn't been sleeping properly. As she studied her face, she noticed the cigarette tucked behind her ear. "You smoke!?" Callie exclaimed, finding it almost incomprehensible that a paediatric surgeon would be a smoker.

Arizona blushed, and hurriedly reached up to grab the cigarette from her ear. "No! Well, I mean yes. Sometimes." Callie sat silent, waiting for a better explanation. Arizona sighed. "I do smoke. On very rare occasions, when I'm stressed out. But usually I just hold it and think about smoking." She paused, wondering if she had said too much. She didn't know if she was ready to talk to Callie about everything, but she felt that what she said practically invited Callie to ask.

And she was right. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to Arizona. I can see that you keep your cards close to your chest. But I'm a good listener. And you can talk to me, if you want to." Callie said quietly.

Arizona looked at her feet, avoiding Callie's eyes, thinking that if she looked into the hypnotising brown eyes, that she might crumble. And she couldn't afford to crumble. "It's okay Callie. It's nothing I can't handle" she lied, hoping that they could just return to the relaxed chatter she had been enjoying.

But Arizona's body betrayed her. Her hands began to shake and a lump formed in her throat as she prayed that she wouldn't break down and cry. Callie didn't say anything at first. She peeled off her jacket and moved closer to Arizona, slowly, as if not to scare her away.

"Here, put this on" she said as she draped the jacket over Arizona's shoulders, moving to let her put her arms in. "But won't you be cold Calliope?" Arizona all but whispered, still avoiding eye contact.

"I'm fine Arizona, it's you that I am worried about" Callie whispered back. She slowly and gently reached up to touch the side of Arizona's face. Arizona's eyes fluttered shut as she sighed into the contact. She allowed Callie to gently turn her face so that she was eye level with her, and her eyes fluttered back open and she stared into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. For just a moment, so short that she thought she imagined it, Arizona could have sworn she saw love reflected in the eyes that stared back at her.

"You aren't sleeping, are you Arizona?" Callie said gently, still worried that Arizona would bolt. "No Calliope, I am not. I can't stop thinking about Tim. I feel like someone has taken a part of me. I lie awake worrying if he is hurt. Or dead" she swallowed thickly.

"Come with me Arizona" Callie said as she gently guided Arizona into a standing position, and walked her inside, and up the stairs towards Arizona's bedroom. Arizona allowed herself to be steered by Callie, but was internally panicking. She had not imagined that the first time she took Callie into her room would be in a situation like this, if at all.

"Don't worry Arizona" Callie whispered in her ear. "Lay down and relax". Arizona did, despite being worried about what might possibly be happening. Callie lay down next to her on the bed, and turned to face Arizona. "Look at me Arizona" she said. Arizona turned so that she was on her side, staring into the deep brown in front of her. Callie slowly but gently raised her hand to tuck strands of golden blonde hair behind Arizona's ear. Arizona sighed into the touch once more, shutting her eyes briefly, but opening them again when Callie's hand returned to stroke her hair again and again. "Now, you sleep Arizona, let yourself cry if you need to, but sleep."

Arizona continued staring into Callie's eyes, letting a few tears fall. Callie hand only ever stopped stroking her hair when it raced to catch the tears that fell silently from Arizona's eyes. They laid there for about twenty minutes, when Arizona finally allowed her eyes to droop shut, falling into deep sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

*****Author's Notes: I have seen the review regarding the desire for longer chapters, and I do agree. This chapter will not be one of the longer ones, but I am posting two today, and as I progress with the story I hope the chapters will become quite long. I understand what you are saying, but at this point, they are as long as they are needed. Some will be quite long, some will be shorter, but I hope you stick with me anyway. Thank you for your advice and all of the reviews have been encouraging. I just hope that you all can fall in love with my idea of Callie and Arizona as much as I have.*****

*****P.S I am updating twice so please make sure you get to read BOTH chapters*****

_Song: Breathe Me- Sia_

Arizona woke up late the following day and realised that Callie must have left at some point in the night, but not before wrapping a soft blanket around her. Arizona laid there, not in a hurry to get up and began processing what had happened the night before. Arizona felt slightly ashamed that she had thought Callie was going to try to sleep with her, but was also incredibly grateful that Callie had been so comforting. She hadn't slept that well in over a year. She wondered how well she would sleep if she ever got the chance to actually fall asleep in Callie's arms, knowing that Callie would still be there when she woke up.

Arizona frowned when she began to think about how selfish she had been with Callie. Callie was her employee, not her lover. It was unethical for her to use Callie for some kind of twisted therapy. She sat up and realised what she had to do, even though she did not want to. She needed to have a talk with Callie. She quickly showered and dressed and made her way down to Callie's flat, hoping she was awake.

Callie, meanwhile was already up and studying. She had exams in a few weeks and she knew she needed to work hard. She was doing well in all of her classes, and wanted to make sure that her job did not start affecting that. She was a little startled when she heard a knock on her door. Realising instantly that it would be Arizona, she braced herself. She knew that Arizona had needed the comfort last night, but she was unsure if she had crossed a line.

She opened the door to see Arizona leaning against the door frame with a pretty serious and devastated look on her face. "Please tell me you aren't firing me Arizona", Callie almost pleaded, scared that this was proof that she really had crossed a line.

"No Callie, I am not firing you" Arizona said, struggling to find the words that she needed to say. "Last night you were perfect. I needed that. You did nothing wrong."

Realising that this was not the end of what Arizona had to say, Callie kept quiet, though she was a little relieved that she hadn't been fired.

"But I think that you really need to consider if this job is good for you Callie", Arizona said, trying to keep herself in control. "It is not in your job description to have to look after me too Callie". Callie stared, not really understanding what was going on. "I care about you Calliope. So much. Probably too much. I don't want my problems distracting you from your own life. I want you to stay. More than anything, I want you to stay. But you shouldn't stay if this is going to negatively impact your own life." Arizona continued trying to keep herself in control. She was giving Callie an out, before things got any deeper, to the point where Callie might feel like she couldn't leave. It broke her heart to say these things, but she knew she had to.

Callie's mouth dropped open for a moment in surprise, when she realised that Arizona was trying to protect her. She could understand where Arizona was coming from. And if it had been anyone else, she probably would have agreed to leave the job. But Callie knew she would not leave unless Arizona told her too. She had never felt so at home in her whole life. And she was in love. She had fallen in love with Josie, and she had fallen in love with Arizona.

"I'm not going anywhere Arizona" Callie said with such finality that Arizona knew she would say nothing more on the matter. Callie walked right up to Arizona, and like she did every night, hugged her. Tight. Arizona did not cry this time. She felt relief. She knew that this could get messy. She knew she was in love with Callie, and that this might make it hard in the future, but she couldn't help feeling relieved.

"Aunty Arizona? Callie?" Josie called, interrupting the moment. Both women turned to see Josie in the yard. "Can I please have breakfast now?" Arizona released a nervous, relieved laugh and called back. "Yes honey. We can even put the Sunday cartoons on", and with a glance in Callie's direction and a quick nod, she turned to Josie to walk back up to the house. Callie watched them, relieved and was about to turn back in to her flat, when Josie yelled, "Callie, you coming too?"

Callie smiled and walked up to follow the two people she loved the most into the house for Cheerios and Sunday cartoons.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

_***** I have updated twice today- please don't miss Chapter 8 **____*******_

_Song: Breezeblocks- alt-J_

Things had fallen into an unusual, but comfortable routine at the Robbins residence. Arizona had thrown herself into her work, trying to take on as much as possible to distract her from both her brother's disappearance and from her feelings for Callie. She figured the busier she was, the less time she would have to think. Callie was in a similar boat. She worked hard at school during the days, worked hard at looking after Josie, and threw herself into her studies by night, as her final exams were approaching quickly. She hoped that by keeping busy, she wouldn't have time to think about her family, or the fact that she was in love with Arizona.

But both women allowed for one moment a day to indulge in each other. Long after Josie had been tucked into bed, Callie would silently walk Arizona to bed, and stay with her, stroking her hair until she fell asleep, before leaving to go study. It wasn't a sexual moment, although the tension was there, rather it was just one moment a day that they allowed themselves to connect, and meant that Arizona was sleeping through the night. Callie knew that anyone else would think the position she was in was bizarre. Maybe even unhealthy. But she adored every moment she spent with Josie and Arizona. It worked for her.

Callie had just put Josie to bed. Arizona was late tonight. She assumed she was stuck in surgery, though she thought it was strange that Arizona had not rang or texted to let her know. But Arizona worked in a hospital, and Callie assumed there had been an emergency or something, and Arizona had not had the time. She was working away on her laptop, instant messaging with Mark, quizzing each other back and forth. They did this once a night, trying to find a way to make studying a little bit more fun.

She took a brief break to check her emails and her stomach turned. Quickly she called Mark on her phone. "Mark, we have to stop quizzing each other for a sec. I just checked my emails. My sister has finally replied to my email!"

"Well what does she have to say for herself?!" Mark replied a little heatedly. He had never met Callie's sister, but hated her already for leaving Callie alone when she needed her the most.

"I don't know Mark", she replied. "I'm too scared to open it." Callie didn't know whether to be angry or happy, or any of the other emotions she was currently feeling.

"Just do it Callie. Get it over with. Read it out loud if you want. I'll stay on the phone with you."

Callie took a deep breath and clicked on the email. Bracing herself, she began to read it out to Mark.

_Dear Calliope,_

_I don't even know how to say the words that could possibly express how sorry I am that it has taken me this long to reach out to you. In fact, I am sure that there are no words that would ever possibly come close to making it up to you. I have betrayed and hurt you beyond belief, and I am truly sorry. _

_When our parents came back to Miami and told me what had happened, I did not expect the fall out to be as big as it was. They made it very clear that if I was to contact you, that I would also be cut off. I am very ashamed to admit that I agreed. I feel sick with the knowledge that I chose money over you, and have regretted it every day since. I did not have the courage to stand up to them like you did Callie. This is not an excuse. There is no excuse for what I did._

_Instead, I attempted to talk them into fixing what they did. They love you, but they do not understand you. I told them that this was wrong, and that they needed to make amends. _

_I do not believe they are ready to face you Callie, and I don't know if they will be any time soon. But nonetheless, I managed to convince them to reinstate your trust fund. It is up to you as to whether you choose to accept their money or not. _

_I would like to see you Callie. I know that you have exams right about now, so I won't ask for it to be now. But if you give me the chance, I would love to come visit you when you finish school, I understand if you don't ever want to see me again, so please don't think this is presumptuous, but I am begging for an opportunity to try to fix this and make amends. I want my sister back._

_I want you to know that I accept you for who you are. Whether you love men or women or both, it doesn't change that. I am just so unbelievably sorry that it took me so long to tell you that._

_I love you, I am sorry, and I hope to hear from you._

_Love Aria._

Callie took a deep breath and began to cry. "Thank you for staying with me through that Mark", she sobbed. "It's okay honey, that's what I am here for." They discussed the email in depth for about half an hour before finally saying goodnight.

Callie hung up the phone and reread the email. She was happy that her sister had written to her, but was also sad and angry that it had taken so long. She was pretty shocked about the fact that her trust fund had been reinstated. She wasn't worried about money right now, as she received a steady income from Arizona, but she knew that she would need it when she began her internship year, which was fast approaching.

Callie didn't know how she felt about her internship year. She was excited to finally get to work at the hospital, but she knew that it was unlikely that she would be able to stay working for Arizona when that time came, which she dreaded. She decided not to think about it too much right now, and figured she could discuss her options with Arizona on one of her days off.

She decided not to reply to her sister just yet either. She wanted her back in her life but she knew there would have to be conditions. There was no way that she wanted to go through anything like that again. But she also missed her family.

Shutting her laptop, she glanced at the clock. It was really late. She was beginning to worry about Arizona. A niggling feeling in her heart told her that something was wrong. She decided to just give Arizona a call to check if everything was okay. When the call went straight to voicemail, she began to panic. She decided if Arizona wasn't home within an hour, she would call the hospital.

With that, she decided to keep busy, doing the housework and getting Josie's lunch ready for the next day, trying to stop herself from worrying, although the niggling feeling seemed to be around to stay.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

_Song: Autumn- Paolo Nutini_

Arizona had no idea how she managed to drive home. She had managed to stop crying long enough to get in her car and drive. The thought of Callie was the only thing that gave her the strength. If she got home, at least Callie would be there, and that was all she could do get home without getting into an accident.

Callie was in a panic. She only had fifteen minutes left of the hour she had allocated before she called the hospital to check on Arizona. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the unmistakable sound of Arizona's car in the driveway. She ran to the front door, and opened it and her heart sunk when she saw Arizona. She was barely walking, and the devastation on her face was obvious. Callie ran out to Arizona, and held her as she collapsed in Callie's arms, sobbing uncontrollably as they sunk to the ground.

Callie knew that this had to do with Tim, there could not be any other explanation for the state that Arizona was in. "Oh honey", she said as she held on to Arizona tight, as if to protect her.

"Tim is dead, Calliope. They found him. He's dead". Callie's heart broke as Arizona repeated those words over and over into her ear. It broke for Arizona, and it broke again when she thought of Josie.

Callie carefully slid her arm underneath Arizona's knees, while she slid the other up to her neck, cradling Arizona like a baby. She lifted herself off the ground and carried Arizona into the house, somehow managing to shut the door with her leg and keep a tight grip on Arizona. "Josie?" Callie whispered to Arizona. Arizona shook her head and whispered back. "Tomorrow. Let her sleep one more night without knowing."

Callie nodded and carried Arizona up the stairs, only planting her on her feet when she reached Arizona's bedroom door. "Do you want me to stay Arizona?" she asked quietly, trying not to wake Josie, whose room was only down the hall.

Arizona nodded. Callie walked Arizona into her room and sat her on the bed. She peeled off Arizona's jacket and took off her shoes, before sitting down next to her, pulling her into a hug. Arizona cried into Callie's neck, nuzzling in to the only place she felt safe.

Arizona pulled back after a while, when her sobbing subsided. Callie touched her face and motioned to Arizona to lay down, but Arizona stopped. She leant over, glancing at Callie's lips and couldn't hold back any more. She held Callie's head in her hands, and kissed her, hard and passionately. Callie was surprised, but kissed her back. It was a sad kiss, but wonderful as well. She had been dying to kiss her for so long. Arizona's hands ran down the sides of Callie's neck to the top of her shirt, where she attempted to undo Callie's top button.

Something in Callie knew that she had to stop this now. It wasn't right. She wanted her first time with Arizona to be sweet, loving and sexy. And she didn't want it to be something that Arizona participated in out of grief, something that she would probably regret. She grabbed Arizona's wrists and pinned them to her sides, stopping her from continuing.

"Please Calliope", Arizona begged. "I need you. I need to feel you. I've waited so long, please."

Callie shook her head. "No, Arizona. Not like this."

Arizona's shoulders slumped under the weight of her devastation and now the rejection. Callie put one finger under Arizona's chin. "Arizona, look at me", she demanded.

Slowly, Arizona allowed her chin to be lifted by Callie, and looked into her eyes. "I'm right here Arizona", and she kissed her slowly and passionately and then broke the kiss to hold her close. "You can feel me now Arizona, I am here. But like this. I will stay and I will hold you, and though I so desperately want you too, I am not going to take advantage of you."

Arizona nodded and allowed herself to be pulled on to Callie's lap, as Callie leaned them into lying position on the bed, cradling Arizona as she sobbed, not once letting go, just holding her. She stayed the whole night.

Callie had not slept a wink. She had held Arizona as she cried all night. Arizona had fallen into a light sleep several times over the night, as exhaustion took over, only to wake up at intervals and cry. Arizona was asleep right now, and all Callie could do was stare at her tear stained face. Sunlight had just begun to creep through the window, illuminating the tiny light freckles across Arizona's face, and made her hair look like gold. She was the most beautiful person Callie had ever seen. She thought about the kisses they had shared, about the electricity that had coursed through her body whenever Arizona touched her. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Arizona, even if she spent the rest of her life putting the pieces of a broken Arizona back together.

Arizona stirred and a whimper escaped her lips. Callie froze, not wanting to rush Arizona out of her sleep, but she was awake. Her eyes fluttered open and the first thing Arizona saw was Callie's eyes staring right back into her, into her soul. They stayed like that, Callie raising her hand to tuck a golden lock behind Arizona's ear.

"Josie", Arizona whimpered, knowing that in a short while, she was going to turn her niece's life upside down once again.

"I know sweetie", Callie said, knowing exactly what Arizona meant. The thought of Josie facing yet another tragic hurdle in her life felt so unfair. "I will stay by your side if you want me to. But if you need your privacy, I can go stay at Mark's or something until you want me back."

Arizona's stomach dropped at the thought of Callie leaving. Selfish as it may be, she wasn't sure she would be able to keep it together without her. She began to cry. "No. Please don't leave me Calliope. I'm not sure I'll make it through this without you."

"Sshh honey. I won't leave for as long as you want me to stay." Callie pulled her closer and held her as tight as she could.

"Did the police tell you how Arizona? If you want to tell me, that is", Callie asked gently, trying not to be pushy. "He was murdered Calliope." Callie's breathed hitched in surprise, not expecting that answer.

"The police went through the evidence with me last night. A few weeks someone tried to use Tim's credit card. As we never cancelled the card so that we could track it and so that Tim might still have been able to use it if he somehow resurfaced, the police got wind of it immediately. They began tracking the person using it, and eventually identified the person using the card through surveillance footage. A warrant was issued for that person's property earlier this week. The police found multiple bodies buried on the property, and it appears they were murdered for identity theft and for credit cards. They haven't been able to identify the rest of the people buried on the property, suggesting that this was a carefully thought out scheme, as the police are assuming the majority of the remaining victims were not reported missing, meaning that they were people without close family and friends. Obviously they hadn't counted on the fact that Josie and I would never stop looking for Tim. Either that or they got the wrong guy." Arizona stopped, unable to speak anymore and buried herself into Callie, absorbing every little piece of comfort she could from Callie.

Callie was silent for a moment, trying to process the information. It was unbelievably overwhelming, and she had not even ever met Tim. She imagined though, that if he was anything like Josie or Arizona, that he would have been a wonderful man. "I'm so sorry Arizona", Callie whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"My parents will be here soon", Arizona said quietly, after a few minutes of silence. "They already know, and they wanted to be here, especially for Josie. I am going to have to tell her before they get here, and I just can't believe that I am going to have to break her little heart. She never deserved any of this pain."

"No, she really doesn't", Callie replied, instinctively intertwining her fingers with Arizona's, desperately trying to provide some type of comfort.

"Calliope. I want to ask you something, and I want you to know that I realise it sounds crazy. And fast. And probably would mean that we would be treading dangerous waters. But I'm going to ask it anyway. My parents will probably want to stay here for a while. They usually stay in the flat, but I don't want you to go anywhere. Would it be far too crazy if you stayed with Josie and I in the house, in the spare room, instead of staying in the flat? If it wouldn't make you too uncomfortable?"

Callie didn't answer immediately. She wanted nothing more than to stay with Arizona, the thought was like every single one of her daydreams from the last few weeks coming true. Deep down though, she knew that she would end up spending her nights in Arizona's room, rather than the guest room. And she knew that Arizona knew that too and assumed that this what Arizona was really asking for. But she knew that if she was to move in properly with Arizona, that she would no longer allow Arizona to pay her as a nanny. She refused to be paid when the relationship was crossing this kind of line. But she knew that this was something she wouldn't be able to bring up with Arizona right this minute, in the scheme of things, it didn't really matter right now. Just as she was about to open her mouth to accept, Arizona grabbed her hand and began to sit up. "It's okay Calliope. I knew it was too much to ask. I'll sort out something else, it's no problem."

Callie turned and pushed her gently back down on the bed, sweeping Arizona's hair from her face. "No, Arizona. I would love to stay with you, more than anything. But although it's most definitely not the time to talk about it now, we will need to talk about some things, about us. But right now, our priority is Josie. It'll only be another hour tops until she wakes up and her life changes all over again. Then your parents will be here. We will get to us when the time is right. But I want to be here for you every step of the way, to be strong for you, and for Josie, so of course I will stay here with you, your parents can take the flat."

Arizona leaned over and gently kissed her lips, tears falling down her face, unable to deal with all the emotions she was feeling and unable to answer Callie with words. She sunk back into Callie's arms for a few more minutes, knowing that this morning was only the beginning of the toughest time in her life.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Song:_ Rough Hands- Alexisonfire_

Callie tip toed down the stairs, making her way out to the flat, trying not to wake Josie before Arizona was ready. She had left Arizona to shower and to try to compose herself, and was going to pack up her things in the flat while Arizona told Josie everything. She knew she couldn't be there for that, as much as she wanted to be there to be strong for them both. This was a family tragedy, and although Callie felt as if the two blondes were her family, she knew it wasn't her place. She decided that she would pack up anything she would really need for the next few weeks from her flat, and leave it at the back door before going to the university for a while, leaving Arizona and Josie to be with Arizona's parents when they got there. She knew that she wouldn't get any study done even if she tried, but hoped that she could find Mark and see him for a few hours. She needed to finally fill him in and she needed his advice.

Leaving Arizona had not been easy. She had clung to Callie like a lifeline, but knew Callie was right; she needed to have her family be together for at least little while without Callie. Callie had kissed her before she left, trying to give Arizona enough strength to get through the next few hours without her.

Callie changed the sheets on the bed in her flat and tidied up as much as possible, storing away anything of hers that she hadn't packed, wanting everything to be as easy and as comfortable for both Arizona and her parents as she could. She sat down on the bed and gave herself a moment to cry. She was devastated for Arizona and Josie. She couldn't think of two people who deserved this kind of pain any less. She needed a moment to get it out; she knew she would not be able to cry once she returned later today. She would have to be a source of strength and comfort for the Robbins family. She left the flat and made her way to her car. With one last look at the house, unable to comprehend the devastation that would be going on inside, she pulled out of the driveway and left.

Arizona felt like she couldn't breathe. She had stayed in the shower until long after the water had ran cold, but it hadn't registered to get out earlier. She was dreading telling Josie. She had found it difficult enough telling Callie, who hadn't even known Tim. Telling Josie would just make it so real. She felt awful and selfish for not wanting to be the one to tell Josie. She knew that Josie would need her now more than ever. But she just didn't feel complete anymore. Tim had been a part of her, of who she was. They had shared everything together. Prior to finding out what had happened to Tim, Arizona had thought that she would have been strong enough not to completely crumble when she finally did find out, having had a year to process all of the possibilities. But she was still not prepared. And she had absolutely crumbled.

She also began to hate herself for how much she relied on Callie. Falling in love was supposed to feel romantic and easy, which was the case some of the time, but she still felt like she was just constantly dumping her problems on Callie. She hoped that none of this was one sided, that Callie actually really did reciprocate the feelings that Arizona was feeling for Callie, and wasn't just staying out of obligation or to keep her job. She was grateful to Callie for staying and supporting her. But she just felt so guilty. She had never been the type of person who was dependant on someone else, in any of her past relationships. She had only ever felt the way the felt about Callie once before, with her first real girlfriend, and it had ruined her so badly that whenever she had entered a relationship since, she had held that part of herself back. It was part of the reason she had been single so much, because any other women she had been with had not been able to be with someone who remained so disconnected, and so they never stayed long.

Arizona finally got out of the shower and dressed. She placed her hand on the door knob and took a deep breath. Once she left, she would have to find Josie. Steeling herself for the inevitable, she walked out of her room and walked down to Josie's room and listened at the door. She heard nothing, so assumed Josie was still asleep. Taking another deep breath, she gently and quietly turned the handle and walked into Josie's room.

Josie was still asleep. Arizona looked at her and marvelled at her niece. She was in such a state of peace, asleep and unaware. She made her way quietly to Josie's bed and sat down gently, willing herself not to cry. She gently stroked her niece's hair and whispered for her to wake up.

Josie stirred and looked up at Arizona in surprise. Arizona did not spend much time in Josie's room apart from bed time, and never usually entered without knocking. Arizona valued privacy, even for her young niece, and never came in unannounced. Josie smiled at first and then froze as she looked at her aunt's face.

"It's about Daddy, isn't it, Aunty Arizona? Josie asked in a small, fragile voice. Arizona was surprised at just how perceptive her niece was.

She did not move her hand from Josie's face. "Yes, darling" she said quietly. Josie knew enough about her aunt to recognise that this wasn't a good thing, that she should not be expecting good news. Not that she ever had. She had a special bond with her father, and secretly knew deep down that he was never coming home. She had felt it on the day that her father went missing, somewhere deep within her.

"What happened, Aunty Arizona?" she said as she felt tears fall down her face. "He's gone baby." And with that she took a deep breath, steeled herself, and told Josie the truth, in the simplest, most gentle way she knew how. She didn't see the point in lying to her, or leaving out any details. As hard as it was to say, and as much as she didn't know how much Josie would understand, she knew that her niece needed the whole story. She would likely hear about it from her relative's conversations or at the funeral, and Arizona figured that the truth should come directly from her.

Together, they sobbed, holding on to each other for dear life, Arizona cradling Josie, much like Callie had cradled her the night before, and they stayed that way in Josie's bed until Arizona's parents arrived.

Callie meanwhile, was across town, sitting waiting for Mark at their favourite coffee shop. She had texted him simply with an "S.O.S", knowing that Mark would know it was urgent. He had suggested they meet up for coffee and here she was. Mark walked in the door and pointed to the counter, telling Callie he would order the coffees. After ordering, he walked over and pulled Callie in a hug, then sat across from her.

"Okay, spill" he said quietly, reading the look of devastation on his friend's face, one that he had only seen once, before after Callie's parents had cut her off. Callie took a deep breath, and told him about Tim, and how devastated Arizona was, and how devastated she knew Josie would be. He listened and just held her hand, waiting for her to finish.

Mark knew that Callie had feelings for Arizona, despite the fact that she had left her feelings out of the explanation to him. He decided to test the waters, to see if she had even recognised her feelings yet. "Maybe you should come stay with me for a little while, until they get back on their feet, Callie" he subtly suggested.

Callie just looked at him, and the look of devastation that crossed his friend's face at the thought of leaving Arizona and Josie broke his heart. Callie put her head in her hands, burying her face. "I can't Mark" she whispered.

"I know you are attached to them Callie, but maybe now is not the time to stay with them, love. You have exams really soon, and this is not your family."

"But I'm in love with her, Mark" she whispered again. Mark knew at the look on his friend's face that she would never leave Arizona. And he understood. It had broken him to leave Lexie. He wasn't sure if he would ever be the same again without her.

"Okay, Callie. I understand." He just sat with her in silence, trying to provide a sense of comfort to his best friend. They stayed there all afternoon, just talking and praying that neither of the Robbins girls would ever have to suffer like this again.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

_Song: Fall At Your Feet- Boy & Bear_

Arizona's parents arrived mid-morning. Arizona and Josie had only gotten out of Josie's bed in order to answer the doorbell. Barbara and Daniel Robbins had looked as devastated as Arizona felt, and she found her father could barely look her in the eye. All three of the Robbins girls sat in the lounge room, holding each other and crying, while Daniel sat in the kitchen with a whiskey, needing his own time and privacy to grieve. It was clear he wanted to be strong for his girls, and was having a hard time with it. He and Tim had been close, they all had been inseparable.

Josie had grown quiet and was refusing to talk and was no longer crying. She held onto Arizona's hand as they all lay there, but would not speak. Barbara and Arizona just held her, hoping that she would eventually open up. Neither of them could even begin to imagine how she felt.

"Josie darling, it is okay to cry or talk about it if you need to" Barbara said after a long silence from Josie, in an effort to comfort her granddaughter. Josie simply shook her head. "Is there anything I can get you or do for you Josie?" Arizona whispered.

Josie broke her silence for the first time. "I want Callie" she stated simply.

Arizona couldn't help but feel the exact same way as her niece. "Callie is giving us family time, Josie. She'll be back later today sweetie."

"Well I want her here NOW" Josie yelled, and stomped up to her bedroom. Arizona got up off the lounge in an effort to chase after her, but Barbara gently grabbed her wrist. "She just needs time to process this alone, Arizona. Just let her be. She'll come back to you when she's ready."

Arizona sat back down next to her mother, allowing Barbara to pull her into a hug. "Who is Callie? Is she a friend of Josie's from school?" Barbara asked. "Callie is Josie's nanny. She has kind of become a part of our little family, Mom. Josie has grown very close to her; I should have expected that she'd want Callie."

"You never told me you hired a nanny? Well I guess it makes sense to need someone to help out now that you are back at work. You should have told your father and I though, we could have stayed and helped" Barbara responded.

"It's not fair to you guys or to Josie though. You guys live far enough away that it would have been difficult for all of us. I needed someone who could be here all the time. I couldn't have picked a better person if I had tried. Callie is so great with her." Arizona said as she checked her watch. It wouldn't be too long until Callie came home, but every minute without her felt like torture. Callie was the only thing that made her feel better.

Callie drove up to the house and parked in her usual spot. She felt apprehensive about going in and meeting Arizona's parents, but also wanted to be with her girls, to comfort them, and her need to protect them overtook her fears. She took a deep breath and got out of the car.

Callie wasn't sure whether she should knock of just go in. Usually she just went straight around the back into her flat whenever she wasn't working. She decided that under the circumstances, especially with Arizona's parents inside, that she would knock this time.

An older version of Arizona answered the door. Apart from the obvious age related difference, they looked almost identical, except the elder Robbins had green eyes instead of blue, but they were just as piercing.

"Callie, I presume?" the older woman said. Callie simply nodded, feeling overwhelmed, condolences stuck in her throat. None of the things she could think of to say felt like they could accurately portray the way that she felt.

"I'm Barbara, dear, Arizona's mother."

Callie swallowed and said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm so sorry Mrs Robbins."

"There will be none of that, dear" Barbara replied. "Call me Barbara. Anything else makes me feel old." The older woman put on her best attempt at a smile, and moved to the side, allowing Callie space to walk through the door. "And thank you for your condolences. Please, come in, Josie has been asking for you."

Callie stepped inside and a tiny blurry figured raced down the stairs and jumped into her arms. "Callie!" Josie sobbed into Callie's neck, holding on tight. Callie held her as close as she could, rubbing her back, as if trying to protect her from any more pain. They stood like that for a few minutes, with Barbara looking on in shock, surprised by the bond that her granddaughter had with this young woman.

"Arizona has just gone upstairs to take a shower Callie, but I will leave you and Josie alone" Barbara whispered to Callie as she left to meet Daniel, who had gone down to the flat. Callie nodded and continued to hold Josie, rocking her in her arms as she walked to the kitchen. She sat Josie up on the bench and cupped her face. "I'm so sorry Josie" she whispered.

Josie just whimpered and continued to cry, her tiny hands grasping on to Callie's clothes as if she was frightened that she would leave. Callie stood, rubbing her back, waiting for the worst of the tears to subside. "Why does everybody leave me, Callie?" Josie finally asked.

Callie's heart sunk, shattering at the question. She pulled Josie in even closer. "Oh honey" she whispered. "It's not fair baby, I know. It's so unfair."

"Please tell me you won't leave me Callie" Josie demanded. Callie wasn't sure how much more of this she could take without bursting into tears herself. She steeled herself and replied. "I'm not going anywhere Josie. Even if I stop being your nanny, for whatever reason, I will always be here for you, whenever you want me. I'm not leaving you honey."

"And neither will I", Arizona said quietly, momentarily shocking both Callie and Josie, who had not realised Arizona had been standing at the door, watching their interaction. She timidly walked over to them, wanting to be close to both of them. Callie pulled her into a hug, whilst still holding Josie, and Arizona slinked one arm on the waist of each of her favourite girls, forming a group hug. They stayed like that for a while, Callie rocking them both softly as both of the Robbins girls sobbed.

"I'm sorry Aunty Arizona, I didn't mean to be bad" Josie cried. "It's okay honey, I understand" Arizona replied, and then pulled out of the group hug. She gently stroked Josie's hair. "I want you to know that I will never leave you on purpose, and if for any reason I am taken away from you Josie, I will fight like hell to get back to you." Josie jumped back into Arizona's arms, the both of them feeling relief. Callie moved away slowly, to give them space and began making dinner. She knew none of the Robbins would be feeling very hungry, but she figured if she made a large amount of soup, that they could have something in their stomachs, rather than nothing.

Arizona carried Josie up to her room, knowing that the little girl needed to at least have a nap, today had been the longest day of her little life. She got into bed with her, and held her as sleep took over the both of them.

Callie knew that the girls would be sleeping and assumed that Arizona's parents were probably having some time alone to grieve. She busied herself with making dinner, doing laundry and cleaning anything and everything, hoping that whatever she did would be one last thing Arizona would have to worry about.

Arizona woke a couple of hours later, and snuck quietly out of Josie's room, seeking out Callie. She went back to the kitchen and watched Callie again from the doorway, as Callie tasted the soup. Callie started when she realised Arizona was there.

"I, um, I made some soup. You're probably not hungry I know, but this is the best thing I could think of, and you really should try to eat something, you know, keep up your strength for…" she stopped her rambling as Arizona strode across the kitchen and gently placed a single finger on Callie's lips.

"Thank you Callie" she simply said, unable to form the right words to show Callie how much she truly appreciated her, hoping that her eyes conveyed the message she really intended. Callie stared back. She felt like she was really looking right into Arizona's soul. She could see appreciation, sadness and love in Arizona's eyes. She broke the stare and pulled her into a hug and they stood there, just holding each other. A loud noise made them jump and pull apart quickly, as Barbara and an older, stern looking man walked into the room.

Barbara looked surprised. She had seen the look on both her daughter's and Callie's faces, knowing she had interrupted something that she couldn't quite explain. To avoid the awkwardness that was rapidly approaching, she introduced her husband.

"Callie, this is Daniel, Arizona's father. Daniel, this is Callie, Josie's nanny." Callie nervously replied and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr Robbins."

Daniel just raised an eyebrow. "It's the Colonel, to anyone who is not my family" he replied gruffly, ignoring Callie's hand, and turned around, walking towards the lounge room.

Arizona stood with her mouth open, having never heard her father be so rude. Barbara, on the other hand, just looked enraged. "I'm so sorry Callie. I don't know what has gotten into him; he's just, well… Grieving" Barbara said directly to Callie.

Callie, although completely mystified by the Colonel's behaviour, shook it off. "It's okay Barbara. I can't even begin to imagine what he is going through. What you are all going through" she clarified, looking at her feet.

Barbara looked at Callie, and then spoke to her daughter. "Arizona, can you go and try to talk some sense into your father, please?" in a very obvious effort to get Callie alone. Arizona looked at the both of them, and when Callie looked up from her feet momentarily to nod at Arizona, Arizona left after her father.

Barbara walked up to Callie, and lifted her chin with one finger and spoke. "I'm not going to pretend like I understand the bond and the dynamic that you seem to have with my girls. Your relationship with them goes far beyond that of a nanny, anyone can see that." Callie tried very hard to put on a brave face as Barbara spoke, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"But I can also see that I have a lot to thank you for, Callie. I don't think that Arizona and Josie would be coping at all without you. So thank you Callie. However Daniel acts is not a reflection on me. I'm so very grateful that you are here."

Callie was lost for words, unable to reply. Barbara pulled her into a short hug and quickly left the room, looking for the rest of her family.

Callie spent the rest of the evening pottering around, giving the family space and cleaning. The only time she intruded on the family was to bring in bowls of soup, hoping that they would at least try to eat. Daniel merely grunted at the bowl, refusing to eat it, whilst Barbara and Josie, who was now awake, attempted to appease Callie by picking at the bread and eating small amounts of soup. Arizona's hand brushed Callie's as she accepted her bowl and the two made eye contact. Arizona tried to convey the same message to Callie that she had earlier, whilst Barbara looked on curiously. Callie hurriedly excused herself and grabbed her bags from the back door, and made her way upstairs to her new room.

The room was considerably large for a guest room, and had its own private ensuite bathroom. She unpacked her things quietly, and then got in the shower. She let the hot water run over her body, and realised how tired she was. She couldn't even begin to imagine how exhausted Arizona must be. She jumped out and changed into her pyjamas, and lay on top of the bed. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept drifting off to Arizona. She decided to quietly read from her study notes, hoping that sleep would soon take over.

Arizona was exhausted. It took a long time to get Josie to sleep, and even longer to convince her mother that she would be okay to be alone. She went up to her room and took a shower, trying desperately to wash away the grief she felt like she was drowning in. Once changed, she sat of the bed and combed her hair, wishing that she was with Callie. The only way she had survived the day was the thought of Callie's usual routine of getting her to sleep. Only it appeared that Callie had already gone to bed, and she felt incredibly sad about that. She reached over to her bedside table and took the white daisy that Callie had given her. She gently touched the wilting petals, in wonder of how such a small item could fill her heart with so much love. She walked over to her book shelf and took out her diary, gently placing the flower in between its pages and shut the book, pressing the flower between its pages to keep forever.

Arizona decided to try and see if Callie was awake. She just needed a few minutes to be alone with her. She knocked quietly on the door, listening for sounds that Callie was awake. Just as she was about to turn and walk back to her room, the door creaked open.

Arizona's heart swelled at the sight of Callie. She looked beautiful, even without make up, and also managed to look adorable in her Disney pyjamas. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen a more glorious sight. She was too overwhelmed to speak and just stared into Callie's eyes.

Callie silently stood aside, making room for Arizona to come in. Arizona walked right up to Callie, but didn't touch her, just continued their silent staring. Callie's eyes felt like home to Arizona. She took so much comfort from them, even with the silence. Callie slipped an arm around Arizona, shut the door and ushered Arizona to the bed. Arizona got under the covers, and Callie soon joined her, spooning her from behind. Arizona turned around to face Callie, clinging on for dear life and they held each other tight, each taking comfort from the warmth between their bodies, just silently looking into each other's eyes until sleep finally took over.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

_Song: Cardiology- SaraJackson-Holman._

Callie began to stir. She felt so warm, and the body next to her felt like heaven. Her eyes sprang open when she realised that there was too much skin to skin contact. Arizona's arm had snuck under Callie's shirt and was resting across her bare back. Her hand was subconsciously drawing small circles between her shoulder blades. Callie thought she might die just because of how good it felt. Arizona's face was only inches away from her own, she was definitely asleep.

Callie watched her face. She had never understood before why some people watched their loved ones sleep, but now she understood. She wanted to stare at Arizona for the rest of forever. She was so beautiful. In her sleep, when she was in Callie's arms, it was the only time the Arizona's beautiful face wasn't marred by sadness and stress, she looked so at peace.

Her lips were slightly parted and Callie desperately wished she could just go ahead and kiss them. She wanted to kiss Arizona's eyelids and promise her no more tears, no more pain. She wanted to touch her face, follow the roads made by tears and cheekbones and jawlines to touch lips and find her heartbeat on her neck. Instead, she followed the lines with her eyes, and imagined what it might be like to listen to Arizona's heart, what it sounded like in her sleep, what it sounded like when she heard Callie walk through the door, what it sounded like when she was aroused. Callie had never before thought she would consider a career in cardio, but right now, Arizona's heartbeat was the most interesting thing she could ever possibly hope to study.

Arizona stirred and pressed herself closer to Callie, her hand reaching further up her back to gently grasp the back of Callie's neck, and in doing so pressed their chests together. Neither woman was wearing a bra and Callie could feel Arizona's nipples against her chest, through their shirts, already hard, even in her sleep. Callie sucked in a deep breath as she felt herself get more turned on than she had ever been in her life.

Arizona stirred again, and her eyes fluttered open, looking straight into Callie's dark eyes. Reading the arousal in Callie's eyes, Arizona realised her surroundings, and realised the position they were both in, and realised the torture she must be putting Callie in, by having her arm where it was. She began to move her arm out from under Callie's shirt, but in doing so, pressed their bodies even closer together. Feeling their chest rub together, Arizona moaned quietly and glanced down at Callie's lips, desperately wanting to taste her. Callie lost it as she saw Arizona's eyes flick down, and she leant in for a passionate, hard kiss. Knowing that she could not pursue more than a kiss right now, she decided to make it count, trying to pour everything into the kiss. Their tongues danced and their bodies began to heat up. Callie withdrew slowly from the kiss, both of them panting, with the ability to breathe stolen away from them due to the intensity of the kiss.

Callie pulled away as far as she could without breaking her hold on Arizona. She stroked Arizona's face, tracing the lines she had not long ago been fantasising about. Arizona had never felt so loved in all her life, and knew that the only reason Callie pulled away was because she knew that now was not the right time. She waited until Callie made direct eye contact with her before she reached up to touch her face in the same way that Callie was touching hers. "Soon" she whispered, knowing that Callie knew exactly what she meant.

"I know" Callie breathed out. She traced her fingers down Arizona's neck, quickly finding the place where she could feel her heartbeat. All of a sudden, she felt the need to hear that sound, not just feel it. She shifted them, slowly and gently, and slid down Arizona's body, placing her ear to her chest, quickly finding the source of her new favourite sound, and sighed happily.

Arizona just melted. She couldn't believe that someone could feel so strongly about her that they would be satisfied with just listening to the sound of her heartbeat instead of sex. To her, it felt just as intimate. She felt like they were sharing a moment that ordinary people only ever dream about. In this moment, she knew she would spend the rest of her life with the woman pinned to her chest. The thought no longer scared her. She was absolutely in love.

Eventually, the moment had to end, but not before Arizona placed the most gentle of kisses on Callie's lips. She got out of bed, grabbing Callie's hand and pulling her with her. As soon as she stood, the idea of facing yet another day of pain came to mind and she wanted to be back in that bed. Callie realised the sense of panic that crossed Arizona's face, and reached up to hold her face between her hands.

"We got through yesterday. We can get through today. I can't promise that each day will get easier, but we will make it through each day, I can promise you that" Callie whispered.

Arizona felt her energy renew, and she felt braver. She knew she could get through it with Callie by her side. She simply nodded, kissed Callie softly one more time, and left the room, preparing herself to get ready for the day.

Arizona took her time in the shower, feeling the hot water run over her muscles, through her hair. She felt incredibly sad, she missed Tim, and she still wasn't completely sure that his death had sunk in for her yet. But a part of her couldn't help feeling like he was still with her. Like he had a part in the events that led to Callie being a part of her life. And Josie's life. It did not comfort her to think that she would have never had met Callie had Tim never disappeared, but she took comfort in the fact that it felt like he had chosen Callie for her, somehow, even though she felt like it would sound silly to anyone else if she had said those thoughts out loud.

She finally stepped out of the shower and put on her robe, twisting her hair up in a towel and stepped out of her bathroom to find her mother sitting on her bed.

"Uh, hi… Mom?" she asked, wondering why her mother was sitting on her bed. Barbara knew how Arizona felt about privacy; she was the one who had instilled that principle in her in the first place.

Barbara started, not realising her daughter had been in the bathroom. "Oh dear, I didn't realise you were here. I was just looking for you and didn't think you were here and just end up sitting here" she said with a sad smile. "Now that Tim has gone, I feel like I need to be closer to you, I guess. I never thought I'd live to see the day when one of my babies died" she wept quietly.

"Oh Momma" Arizona whispered as she swept her mother into a hug. Her mother had seemed so strong through the day before; Arizona had almost forgotten that her mother had lost a child. She held her mother close to her and stroked her hair.

"We will need to go to the funeral home today to make arrangements, Arizona" Barbara said quietly. "Will you please come with me? Your father… He won't come, he can't come, Arizona. I've never seen him like this. But… I can't do this alone, honey."

Arizona's heart broke at seeing her mother fall apart like this. "Of course, Momma. Of course I will come with you. Dad is just dealing with everything different to us. I think he's scared to show us how badly he is hurting, Momma."

"I know, baby. Thank you for coming with me. Do you think Callie could stay with Josie? I want Josie to be involved, but I think for this part of the arrangements, she should stay at home."

"I'm sure Callie will stay. She would normally be working today anyway, but I will double check." Arizona knew that Callie would be fine to stay. She surprised herself at how comfortable she was is thinking like that, so easily relying on Callie, but was incredibly grateful that she could depend on her.

Barbara stood, realising that she had intruded for long enough, and her daughter needed to get dressed.

"I'm sorry I invaded you privacy honey, I just wanted to be close to you" Barbara said as she walked to the door.

"That's okay Momma, I understand" Arizona replied, turning towards her wardrobe.

"That and I wanted to see if you were diddling the nanny…" Barbara said loudly.

Arizona spun around to face her mother, her signature blush rising up from her chest. "Momma!" she spluttered. "I… No…Callie… We wouldn't… No…"

Her mother just raised an eyebrow. "Yet." And with that, she spun on her heel, taking the tiniest amount of joy in embarrassing her daughter.

Arizona just stared, rooted to the floor, absolutely mortified.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

_Song: Black Dress- Kisschasy._

Callie was downstairs making breakfast with Josie. Josie was in slightly better spirits than the day before, though still obviously upset. Cooking together was something that Josie really enjoyed. Today they were making fun shaped pancakes with all the trimmings.

Barbara sat at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and drinking the coffee that Callie had made her. Daniel had yet to show up for breakfast and Callie was sure that he would probably wait until the kitchen was empty before he would show up. She tried to keep it in her mind that it wasn't her that he was truly upset about, and Barbara's talk with her yesterday helped reinforce that. She decided to make up a plate for him anyway and leave it, in case he showed up or got hungry.

Arizona made her way downstairs and smiled. Almost all of her favourite people were in the kitchen, and she loved the dynamic between them all. She kissed her mother on the cheek and sat down next to her, watching Callie and Josie, who were covered in pancake batter and listened to their playful banter. It was such a beautiful sight.

"Here Josie, go take this plate to your Grandma" Callie said to Josie, handing her a plate. Josie took it over to the table, and placed it down in front of her. Barbara peered over her newspaper and smiled. There on her plate was a pancake in the disproportionate shape of a cat. She kissed Josie in thanks and began loading her plate full of the trimmings that Callie had already laid out on the table.

"Make a special one for Aunty Arizona, Callie" Josie whispered to Callie. Callie grinned, having had hoped she would get to make Arizona's pancake. After it was cooked, Callie plopped the pancake down on the plate and gave it to Josie to take to Arizona. It was in the shape of a big heart. Arizona looked over at Callie, and smiled as they made eye contact, both of them think about Callie listening to her heart earlier that morning. Barbara watched on and at that point she knew that Callie and Arizona were in love. It wasn't the heart shaped pancake that made her think this. It was the goofy love eyes that kept sneaking glances at each other, forgetting that anyone else could see. She smiled. She knew that she knew very little about Callie, but in her eyes, Callie had already proven herself to be someone worthy of her daughter's affection. The four of them sat together, eating breakfast, trying to keep the mood light for as long as possible, knowing the day would be quite a tough one.

Arizona stood and beckoned for Callie to follow her from the kitchen. They walked together to the living room and sat down. "Calliope, I was wondering, if it's okay with you, if you could stay with Josie today? Mom and I have to go to the funeral home and make some of the arrangements. We both agree that Josie shouldn't come along for this one."

"Of course, Arizona. I'm on study break this week and next as I have exams after break, so I would have been home anyway."

"Will this affect your study, Calliope? I don't want you feel like you have to do anything for us when you should be studying?"

Callie leant over touched Arizona's face. "I promise you, it is fine. Josie likes to help me study anyway; she thinks flash cards are fun. We will be fine."

Arizona smiled into the touch "Thank you Calliope". She leant forward and whispered into Callie's ear "I can't wait for you and me" kissing her cheek before standing and making her way back to the kitchen.

Barbara and Arizona left for the funeral home shortly after, and Callie decided to clean up after breakfast while Josie went up to her playroom. She pottered around, and made a grocery list, knowing that no one had been to the shops in a while, and that Arizona probably wouldn't get time to do so in the coming days. She peered out of the window and noticed Daniel sitting at the outdoor table, looking dejected, smoking a cigarette. She knew where Arizona must have picked up the casual smoking from.

She decided that she would take the plate of breakfast out to him. Steeling herself and shaking her nerves, she walked outside to where he was sitting and gently placed the plate down, along with a coffee and the newspaper. She made eye contact with Daniel and simply said, "Just in case you get hungry, Colonel Robbins, sir." When he made no effort to acknowledge her or the food, she turned to leave.

"Wait, Callie" Daniel said gruffly. Callie turned back around, preparing herself for the worst.

"I'm sorry, Callie" he said simply and motioned for her to join him at the table. Callie sat down across from him quickly, still quite intimidated. "It's fine, Colonel Robbins" she replied.

"No. No, it's not fine. I've treated you with nothing but rudeness, and I am sorry. It's just all wrong. I'm supposed to be the strong one for my family, but I can't even look at my wife in the eyes. I'm supposed to be the one who makes funeral arrangements, and I couldn't walk any further than this table right here. I was supposed to die first Callie. I was never prepared for the idea of a life without any of them, because I was supposed to be the first to go. And now, my son is gone. My wonderful, kind, strong son is dead. And I'm pushing away everyone else who is left."

The Colonel looked surprised at himself for revealing so much and looked like he was using up all of his energy not to cry in front of Callie.

Callie took a deep breath and sighed. She reached out and grasped Daniel's hand, no longer intimidated, and knew what she had to do. "Colonel Robbins, sir, I know. I cannot begin to imagine the pain that you are feeling right now. However, I can see that pain in your eyes. It's the same pain that I've seen in Arizona's eyes every day for quite a long time now, sir. You are not alone in this pain. No one ever thinks that their loved ones are going to die before them. And when it happens, no one can possibly know how they are going to keep going on without them. The one thing I do know is that your family needs you. They don't need you to be strong; they need you to grieve with them. They want to hold you when as you grieve and vice versa."

Callie could see that her words were beginning to take effect with Daniel. So she continued. "The first and only time I ever saw my father cry, was when his mother passed away. We all love my grandmother, but his relationship with her was so special. I remember looking at him crying, and I never once saw it as a sign of weakness. It was more just a testament to how much he loved her. It was important for me to see that, to know that it was okay to cry. It's okay for you to cry too, Colonel, sir."

That last sentence tore down the walls that Daniel had placed around himself, and he silently cried, shaking as he buried icy blue eyes into strong, weathered, tan hands. Callie gently rubbed his shoulder, and he released his face, pulling Callie into an awkward, but necessary hug. "Thank you so much, Callie" he whispered as he wiped his tears away and attempted to compose himself.

He stared down at the plate of breakfast Callie, had brought out to him. "This looks wonderful, Callie" and he began to eat for the first time in days, and the two engaged in small talk, mostly about Josie and her antics. It wasn't too long before the subject of their conversation was spotted walking slowly and curiously down the back steps, hesitating before approaching her grandfather.

Daniel got up from his seat and kneeled, beckoning Josie to run over to him. She launched herself at him, and he lifted her up, spinning before wrapping her in a big bear hug. "I missed you Josie bear" he said he carried her back to the table and sat her on his knee.

Callie smiled, happy that she had succeeded in at least bring Daniel and Josie together. She hoped that it continued; that Arizona and Barbara would finally be able to connect and grieve with the Colonel. She asked the Colonel if he would like to join her and Josie on a grocery trip, her confidence in him grew as he accepted, scooping Josie up and racing her to the car.

An hour and a half later, the trio returned, playing in the kitchen as they put away groceries and prepared some lunch. Not too long after, Arizona and Barbara walked through the front door. Arizona made her way to the kitchen, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw her father, actually interacting with Josie AND Callie. Barbara was soon behind her with a very similar expression on her face. Daniel looked up and saw Arizona. He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, breaking down, apologising. Barbara soon joined the hug. Callie continued making lunch with Josie, trying to give them some space, but soon enough, Daniel and Barbara left the kitchen to go out to the flat to discuss the arrangements that Arizona and Barbara had made that morning.

Arizona stood at the door, gobsmacked, in complete awe of Callie. How on earth did Callie manage to fix her family situation with less than half a day alone with Daniel, even though just hours before, he had apparently hated her? Callie made eye contact as she lifted Josie down from the kitchen bench, and winked in Arizona's direction, grabbing the lunch platter in one hand, Josie's hand the other, and walked straight outside, leaving Arizona speechless in the kitchen. How the hell was she that lucky to have Callie in her life?

The next few days passed quickly and before too long, it was the day of Timothy Robbins' funeral. It was an overcast day, with rain on and off, typical weather for an incredibly sad day. Arizona woke up early in Callie's arms, extracted herself and stood to look out the window, unprepared for the day ahead. Callie soon woke, missing the heat from Arizona, and surprised Arizona with Callie's arms around Arizona's waist, and her chin tucked into Arizona's neck from behind. They swayed gently like that, the two of them stood together to watch the rain from the window. Arizona turned in her arms to face Callie when it became almost time to get ready. "Please, after I am dressed, can I have five minutes alone with you before we go?" Arizona whispered.

"Anything you want Arizona" Callie whispered back, gently brushing her lips to Arizona's temple. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she held Callie tightly before looking up at her, and with one gentle kiss to the lips, she was gone to get ready.

Callie showered and dressed quickly in a black pantsuit before ensuring that Josie was ready. She held her hand as they sat in the kitchen, waiting for the rest of the family. Barbara and Daniel soon arrived in the kitchen, and Callie took that as her cue to get a moment with Arizona alone. She walked up to Arizona's room and gently knocked. Arizona opened the door, dressed in a black blazer and skirt, with black stockings and black hairpiece woven into a bun on her head, with black mesh covering part of her face. She pulled Callie in wordlessly by her hand and stood in front of the mirror, with Callie behind her. She picked up a pearl necklace and handed it wordlessly to Callie, who gently fastened it around Arizona's neck, the whole time her eyes not leaving Arizona's, continuing their silent conversation.

Callie dropped her hand to Arizona's waist and pulled her in close, kissing the bare skin where her neck met her shoulder. Arizona spun slowly, meeting Callie for a slow, passionate kiss, tears falling from her face and landing on Callie's. "I'm so glad you are here, Calliope" she whimpered against Callie's lips. Callie kissed her forehead, grasped their hands together, and walked Arizona down the stairs to Josie and her parents.

The funeral was sombre. It was no surprise that a very large number of people turned up to mourn and to celebrate Tim's life. It left no doubt in any of their minds that the world was a little bit dimmer without Tim in it. Callie never left Arizona's side, holding her hand for the entire service, Josie holding Arizona's other hand.

When they walked down to the cemetery, Callie hung back, not wanting to be at the front of the intimate burial, surrounded by members of the Robbins family and Tim's Marine comrades who had come to see Tim off, but Arizona pulled her forward, unable to cope without her next to her. They stood in the pouring rain, under black umbrellas, watching a coffin draped in flags be lowered into the ground. It felt surreal, and almost cliché, like many sad, tragic movies, and Arizona found herself wishing that it was only a movie, that this was all a dream, except for the beautiful brunette beside her.

It meant a lot to her that so many people turned up to the funeral. She watched all their faces, some familiar, some completely foreign, and imagined their interactions and stories of Tim. As she scanned the still crowd, she noticed a hooded figure, one that had hung back from the crowd. The figure made eye contact and as recognition crossed both their faces, Barbara nudged Arizona, indicating that it was her turn to throw a rose onto Tim's coffin, and when she looked back up, the figure was gone.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

_**Author's notes: I apologise for the delay on this chapter- I have been moving house and haven't had internet access. Hope you enjoy! Xx**_

_Song: For You I Will (Confidence)- Teddy Geiger._

Arizona wasn't sure if life would ever go back to normal. She could barely remember what normal was. Her parents had gone back home after Callie had finished her exams, and Arizona missed them terribly. She worried constantly about Josie. She thought that Josie was dealing pretty well with everything, she was clearly sad and emotional, but was not naughty or acting out, and Arizona was hoping that she was not having a delayed reaction.

Arizona's mind constantly drifted to the figure she swore she saw at Tim's funeral. She wasn't sure if it was her distraught imagination, or whether it had been real. She said nothing to anyone, but kept her eyes peeled everywhere she went, especially when she visited Tim's grave. She went a couple of times a week, sometimes with Josie, sometimes with Callie, but mostly by herself. She thought it was morbid that she visited so often, but it was the only way she could feel close to him.

She had not been able to return to work just yet. With the ongoing police investigation and her need to invest in Josie, Arizona had stayed away from work. It was for the best, but she craved surgery, craved the joy she got from helping people, craved the control she got from knowing she was the very best at something.

Her only joyful distraction was her two girls. Josie seemed determined to be there for Arizona as much as Arizona was there for her. She was a sweet and thoughtful child. Even through her sadness, she was still a beautiful child. Arizona saw so much of Tim in her in those moments. It made her appreciate him and miss him even more.

And then there was Calliope. The word crave came back to Arizona's mind. More than she craved surgery, more than she craved anything, she craved Callie. Callie had stayed in the spare room, even after Arizona's parents had left, and Arizona now spent every night there too. Neither of them dared to make a move further than the occasional heated kiss, but they still clung to each other at night, and one look into Callie's eyes told Arizona that the fire and desire from Callie had not dulled one bit. Arizona felt loved by Callie and the fact that Callie forced herself to wait for Arizona, even though they both needed to experience each other more than food or water or oxygen.

Arizona loved that despite the fact that they had effectively frozen their progress in order to deal with Tim passing away and the consequences that followed, it was not awkward. Callie did not push, and she was calm, except for whenever an accidental touch came dangerously close to feeling as if it was erotic, when the flames behind her eyes would ignite and Arizona would have to hold everything back, pull away from her completely until the moment of raging desire passed.

But Arizona found herself being less patient than Callie these days. She wanted to consume Callie, not just sexually, but emotionally, spiritually, in any and every way. She wanted to explore the parts of Callie that Callie hid from Arizona. Arizona assumed it was because Callie wanted to protect Arizona, when Arizona seemed to have so much on her mind, but Arizona was tired of that. She understood it, but she didn't want their relationship to be uneven, she didn't want Callie to have to bury her own pain, just because Arizona was in pain.

She wanted to explore all of Callie's wounds. She wanted to observe each and every one of Callie's scars, physical and emotional, learn the causes, and learn the cures. She wanted to trace the pathway of every single one of Callie's tears and rip apart the people who put them there. She wanted to find out what terrified Callie, what turned her on, what her biggest dreams and desires were. She wanted to protect her; she wanted to make her laugh harder and smile wider than any person before her. She wanted to know what touches would bring Callie to ecstasy; she wanted to make her come harder than any other lover before her. She wanted to watch Callie come completely undone, in her most uninhibited, fragile, volatile state, and hold her together through it all. She wanted so much more than just sex. And she knew that if they got down to it, it would be so much more than sex.

But how were they even going to get there when they hadn't even had a date yet? And Callie seemed to refuse to be the one to push for anything more until it came from Arizona to declare that it was the right time. But what was the right time? Grieving over the death of a beloved family member was a confusing time for most. Arizona could see that Callie might be hesitant to accept anything from Arizona while she was grieving, in case it was just Arizona seeking comfort. But Arizona knew from the moment she laid eyes on Callie that they had a connection. And she knew without a doubt that she was in love with her now. It wasn't grieving that had turned Arizona towards Callie, but just the same sequence of events that led to Tim's death had also led to Callie being a part of Arizona's life.

Arizona desperately wanted to talk to Callie about it, but she lacked the confidence. Arizona felt pretty sure, but there was still just the tiniest amount of doubt that Callie felt exactly the same. It was so tiny, but it was still there. She didn't know if she could cope with the rejection, it would be the thing that broke her completely.

Arizona glanced over at the woman of her current thoughts, who was in a deep sleep, on her side facing Arizona, her dark brown hair thrown across the bed in every direction. One hand was wound around Arizona's waist, pressing into the small of her back, the other was wound in Arizona's hand, their fingers snaking together tightly. Callie's lips were so close hers. Unable to resist, and knowing that Callie would not wake, Arizona tilted her head forward the small distance and pressed her lips to Callie's, pulling her bottom lip in between her lips and gently tasted it. Even in the morning, Callie tasted glorious. Arizona had never had a lover that she hadn't forced out of bed to clean their teeth before morning kisses before. She pulled away slowly; amazed that Callie could sleep through it. She sighed and gently pulled herself out of the tight hold that Callie had her in and slowly got out of bed. It was way too early to be awake, only just on 5 am. But she needed to visit Tim. She wanted to get a burst of confidence that she knew Tim would have been able to provide her when he was alive.

She moved to her on room silently and dressed warmly. It was still summer but the early mornings were always little chilly in Seattle. She knew that Callie and Josie would still be sleeping for hours, and so she walked the short way to the cemetery. She walked along the rows and column of dead brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, lovers, soul mates and her heart ached. Being a surgeon, she understood death better than most. It still hadn't prepared for the worst.

She found her brother's plot and sat. She spoke to him of the trouble that ached right through to her heart and soul. She cried and wished for his comfort. She begged for his return, even if it was just once. She cried until she had nothing left and then leant against his tombstone, facing away, pretending she was sitting back to back with him, like they used to when they were in trouble off their parents. She leant back and rested her eyes, shutting them tight as her imagination took over.

It was then that she felt like she was not alone. She opened her eyes slowly as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Carefully, she scanned the horizon, looking for the eyes she felt watching her. As she located them, she stood. She raised her hand as if to motion for the other person to wait. She slowly made her way over to the figure. It was wearing a similar hood as it did to Tim's funeral. Their eyes met and recognition flooded Arizona's senses again.

As she got closer, and she saw the green of the woman's eyes, she knew she had been right. They looked like Ava's eyes, Tim's long gone love. But the woman standing here was not Ava. Arizona had almost been as close to Ava as Tim, had been almost as devastated when she had left, and would know her face anywhere. "Arizona" the woman stated.

"You aren't Ava" Arizona replied. "But you must be her sister?"

The woman nodded and held out her hand for Arizona to shake. "Emily."

"Can I ask what you are doing here, Emily? Not that I'm not happy to meet you, I have actually heard quite a lot about you. But why now?" Arizona asked, accepting the hand. Part of Arizona was terrified that Emily would want to take custody of Josie, the thought of which making her stomach flip and she felt on the verge of tears again.

Emily seemed to understand why Arizona was being slightly defensive. "I'm not here for Josie. If that is what you think. All though one day, I would like to finally meet her."

"Why hasn't she? And why haven't I? Ava was a part of my family, and I heard a lot about you, but you were never around." Arizona didn't mean to sound accusatory, but a part of her was a little angry at Emily about this. Josie could have used Emily's support months ago. They all could have.

"I know I haven't been around. Ava is a lot like me. I took off years before she did. I stayed in contact by phone, and only with her. I came to visit shortly after Josie was born, I held her and left soon after. I've always been the same. Our mother was the same. I had hoped that Josie would have been enough to keep Ava from being the same. But she took off too. Except she only ever called me once, Arizona. I have spent years following the clues as to where she went, and I think Tim did too."

"What are you saying, Emily? That Ava didn't leave of her own accord? Because it certainly seemed that way. She left nothing but letters to Tim, Josie and I and broke all of our hearts." Arizona sobbed at the last few words, unable to stop herself.

"I think she did leave you all on purpose Arizona, but I also think she would have come back. She loved Josie, Tim was her soul mate and you were a better sister to her than I ever was."

"You are going to have to spell it out for me Emily, because I really don't understand what you are trying to say!" Arizona was frustrated. This was incredibly hurtful, talking about the past and she wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"I think she was in trouble Arizona. I think she got into trouble somewhere along the lines. Ran into some bad characters. She stopped being a runaway, and I think she was abducted, or is being held against her will by these people. I think Tim knew too, Arizona. I think that's why he is dead. He was trying to save her, or find her. Maybe they found him first."

Arizona's mind was reeling. She opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out.

Emily grabbed her hand. "Please believe me Arizona. I think Tim tried to do this on his own, and he got killed for it. I have been following the clues as much as I can, but I don't know where Ava is. I know she was at the same house as where Tim was found, I found her watch there." Emily produced a small silver watch with engraving on the back and placed it in Arizona's hands for her to observe.

"Have you gone to the police?" Arizona squeaked out, as she put together what she knew in her head. The police had said that it did not make sense for Tim to have been targeted by the criminal/criminals who killed him, as they had gone after loners and people without family. Tim had been an outlier to their statistics. However, if he was trying to save Ava, and was killed for it, that would make a great deal more sense.

Emily shook her head. "I don't know if I'm being watched. I've been trying to make sure that you haven't been watched over the last few weeks since the funeral. It doesn't look like anyone has approached or watched your house other than me, but I can't be sure that I haven't been followed since I left that house. But you could. Tell them about me, and everything I've told you. I don't know if they can help, but they might be able to find Ava. I want my sister back, Arizona. I think you want her back too, and so would Josie."

Emily pulled her in for an awkward hug. "I'm sorry I had to meet you this way Arizona. From what Ava told me, you and Tim were the best things to happen to her in this town. Before Josie, of course." And with that, Emily strode away, towards a black car parked on the edge of the cemetery.

Arizona placed her hands in her hands. Everything Emily said made sense. But she wasn't sure what to believe. She made her way quickly back home, her mind reeling. She went straight up to Callie. She wanted to wake her gently but she was in shock. She crawled into the bed and tried to hide herself under Callie, sobbing and clawing at Callie, trying to get comfort. Callie woke in shock, scrambling to pull the blonde tightly into her arms, soothing and cooing at her until the sobs stopped and Arizona fell limply in her arms.

"What is it Arizona? And why are you dressed in running clothes?" Callie was too sleepy and confused, to gather that Arizona had left the bed.

Arizona filled Callie in with what had happened at the cemetery. Various emotions flooded her sleepy face and she held her tight. "You need to go to the police Arizona."

"Can you come with me Calliope?" Arizona whispered.

"Sure. But what about Josie?"

"I will ask my best friend Teddy. She will be able to take care of Josie, provided she isn't in surgery, I hope."

"Let's call, Arizona."

Less than two hours later, Callie had Josie dressed and ready, and Teddy was at the door. Arizona hugged Teddy and then grabbed Callie's hand to leave. Callie didn't miss the way that Teddy narrowed her eyes as the display of affection, or the smirk then after. Her stomach filled with butterflies when she realised that Arizona must have talked to Teddy about her. Still, no one said anything about it, and Arizona and Callie left for the police station. Arizona told the investigators everything that she had been told by Emily. They were interested and not entirely surprised. They too knew there had to be a reason why Tim was targeted. They suggested to Arizona that this could be exactly what was happening, that Emily may just be correct. They promised to look into it and to keep Arizona updated.

Callie drove Arizona home. She just looked exhausted. Callie held her hand over the centre console and rubbed the back of her hand, attempting to soothe her. Arizona smiled at the contact and sat just enjoying the touch. Once again, Callie proved she could make her smile, even on the worst days.

Arizona decided she wouldn't tell Josie of the incident that had occurred that morning, she didn't want to get her hopes up. But part of Arizona's head decided not to be so sad about what Emily had told her. If Ava was alive, or if Tim had died trying to save Ava, then Tim's death seemed less senseless. And if she could have Ava back, alive, it would be so good for Josie. After the initial shock of everything, it kind of felt like this was a good thing, even though Ava being in danger was scary. But she knew more this time, and the police had more information. She felt like for once, she had hope.

Later that night, after Arizona had thanked Teddy and she had tucked a sleepy Josie into bed, she walked into her bedroom to find that Callie was in her bathroom. She followed the scents of vanilla and coconut and found that Callie had run her a hot bath, and had placed tea light candles all around her bathroom, and had poured her a glass of wine. She sighed happily, looking at Callie and seeing only love and adoration in the eyes that stared back.

"I wanted to run you a relaxing bath. It's not much, but I thought you might want to try to relax…" Callie rambled a little nervously.

Arizona smiled. There was nothing more adorable than when Callie got nervous. She slowly walked over to where Callie leant up against the skin and didn't stop until she was right in Callie's personal space. She reached out a finger to draw a path down Callie's neck, stopping dangerously close to Callie's cleavage. Arizona could feel Callie's quick pulse and was sure that her own heart was about to burst out of her chest. She wasn't sure why she was doing this now, especially after today, but part of her couldn't hold back anymore.

"Are you going to be joining me, Calliope?" she said in a low voice. She watched as Callie's eyebrows shot up and her breath audibly hitched. Callie couldn't take her eyes off Arizona's lips. "Oh, god" was all Callie could say, as she tried to back further away from Arizona, as to not give into the temptation. Arizona giggled. She strode up to Callie and kissed her hard, biting her bottom lips roughly, trying to give Callie a taste of what would eventually be hers.

She slowed the kiss and stroked the side of Callie's face. "It's okay, darling. I was only half-serious. I know you want your talk first. But will you sit by the bath with me, pour yourself a glass, and maybe we can have that chat now?"

Callie hesitated. She felt like she was on a rollercoaster. The last five minutes with Arizona had sent her into a nervous state. She wasn't sure Arizona was truly ready.

"Are you really ready for that Arizona?" she said nervously. "Please don't think I don't want to. I just about die every time you touch me, and I so want to have that talk, but what about today? What about how sad you were this morning? I can't just forget that pain Arizona. I don't think you can either."

Arizona pushed herself against Callie, and continued to do so until Callie was backed into the wall. She leant over and kissed her jaw, with her hand gently around Callie's neck, feeling the soft skin there. "I know that you don't think I'm ready Callie. But I knew I wanted this before I knew that Tim was dead. I wanted you the very second I saw you. I fell in love with you the day you gave me that white daisy. I have fallen harder every day since. Yes, I know. We have done things out of order. You live with me, you work for me, and I'm telling you that I'm in love with you, before we go on our first date." She paused, gulping slightly, but repeated herself. "Because I am. I mean I do. I love you, Calliope." She pushed on, not needing a response.

"But I have been frozen, unable to naturally move along with you because of my grief. I've respected you for being patient with that. But I want to take this off pause, Calliope. I want to wrap myself up in you. I want to know everything about you. I want to be as close as I can to you. I want to know what scares you, I want to know your pain, I want to turn you on, and I want to make you smile. Most of all, I want to take you on a real date. I can't do any of that until we have our talk. So I propose I sit in this lovely bath you have run me, while you go and get yourself a glass of wine, and then you come sit beside me and we have this talk."

She finished her little speech, a little breathless. She had tried to put all of her passion into it. She watched as Callie processed what she was asking. She watched as Callie's eyes dropped back to her lips once more, and she leant forward to kiss Arizona's lips, gently and sweetly.

"Yes."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

_Song: Even When I'm Sleeping- Leonardo's Bride._

Callie kissed Arizona's lips again, and repeated her affirmation.

"Yes."

She tore herself away from Arizona and stepped back. "But it is going to wait until after you have that bath. I won't hear a thing you say if we talk while you are in there" she gestured towards the bathtub with a nod of her head.

Arizona smirked. "Okay, Calliope. That's a fair deal. Meet me on the swing on the front porch in an hour then?"

Calliope nodded, unable to speak. Her brain was still stuck, suffering a sensory overload; the feel of Arizona being all over her moments ago, the smell of the vanilla and coconut that was the same smell as Arizona, the images flashing through her imagination of Arizona in the bath. She was drowning in Arizona, and she loved it.

Arizona giggled, understanding. Somehow she had gained a little bit of control over the situation, but inside, she felt like she was about to explode. Her level of desire for Callie had never been higher, and the look in Callie's eyes made her feel ravenous for her. She leant over to Callie, with one kiss to the cheek, and whispered sexily in her ear, enjoying driving her crazy. "Go on, tiger. I'll be down soon."

Callie took one last look at Arizona and left, bent on getting the first alcoholic drink she could get her hands on, just to calm herself down. She paced the kitchen, taking note of the time. She headed out to the front porch with another bottle of wine, ready for when Arizona finally finished, and not-so-patiently waited. Her heart was racing. Arizona had told her she was in love with her. She felt her heart swell at the thought, and felt like crying out of happiness. Arizona was right about one thing in particular though… They had done everything so out of order. It didn't necessarily worry Callie; she knew they would find a way to make it work. It just made things a bit more complicated, that was all.

Arizona waited until the water cooled before she got out. It wasn't that she didn't want to race down to Callie, but she thought that they both needed a moment to collect themselves. She needed to calm down her libido as well. It wouldn't be fair to Callie for Arizona to continue trying to pounce on Callie… at least until after this conversation. She wasn't having much success with that one. Sleeping in the bed with Callie had meant that there had not been as much time for self-pleasuring to aid Arizona in keeping herself in check. She doubted it would have helped anyway though. Something about Callie made it impossible for her libido to be anything less than 11/10 most days. She just wanted Callie, mind, body and soul.

Sighing, she got out of the bath and dressed in one of Callie's university t-shirts and a pair of tiny pyjama shorts. She dried her hair and took her time, before going down and finding Callie waiting for her on the swing.

Callie watched Arizona walk towards her. Seeing Arizona in her university shirt cemented the fact in Callie's head that everything would be okay, even if it was difficult or out of order, because they were really in love with each other. It would work out somehow.

Arizona sat down gently on the seat, before turning so that she was cross-legged, facing Callie. "Hi" she whispered, taking the new glass of wine that Callie offered her. Callie mirrored Arizona's actions and replied "Hi back at you." Callie smiled brilliantly, and took a sip, obviously waiting for Arizona to start.

Arizona knew that everything was going to have to come from her, even though it was Callie who really wanted this talk. Callie didn't want to force anything and she knew this.

"I need to know exactly what you want to talk about, what you need to sort out in order for me to be able to take you out, and woo you, Calliope."

Callie giggled slightly at Arizona's way of breaking the ice. "Woo? Have you been getting your pick up lines from the Colonel, Arizona?"

Arizona laughed back. "Yeah, yeah okay Calliope. You won't think it's funny when I actually get the chance to do the wooing."

They both just smiled at each other, glad that it wasn't awkward at all. Callie took a deep breath and began. "Well the first thing is that I have the dilemma where I don't want to be paid to look after Josie if I am dating you. But then I am scared that that will mean that you will want to find another nanny when I am completely capable of being here. It's just that I feel so connected to her. I worry that she might suffer if I had to stop being here because I'm dating you. This brings me around to the next dilemma... If we start to date, does that mean that I can't stay here anymore? Like, none of this is a money issue, I don't need the money, but I like being here for whenever Josie needs me, and also, for when you do... Not saying that you are needy or need me but you might and…"

Arizona clamped her hand over Callie's mouth. It was adorable how much Callie cared, and how much she rambled, but Arizona was worried that Callie might just spontaneously combust if she kept it up.

"Slow down Callie" she giggled. "You are right. I do need you." She paused, knowing that Callie had brought up some very valid points. "Before I continue, I need to know if you are positive that you wouldn't financially suffer without the money I pay you to nanny for Josie."

"No, Arizona. I have a trust fund with more than enough money for ten lifetimes. I only needed the job because my father had cut me off for being bisexual." Arizona narrowed her eyes, about to question the story behind Callie being cut off but was interrupted. "That story is for another time, Arizona, it's not important right now" she reminded her.

Arizona nodded and spoke again. "Well then I need to know if you would be comfortable to live here and be here for Josie and I, and not be paid and still manage to want to date me? Before you answer, I know that it's weird. People don't ordinarily live together before they date, or date their employees or any of the things that we have done, but we aren't ordinary Calliope. I know you feel it to. I had doubts at first, but I know it and I know that you know it. This is the once- in -a -hundred -thousand -lifetimes, what -movies -and -books -are -about -kind –of- love that other people only dream about. None of the rest of it matters. We can set boundaries if you want but honestly, I don't want to wait anymore. I want to love you properly Calliope. I don't want to spend one more day, not one more minute denying it, or trying to supress how I feel. I love you so much Calliope." She said the last bit with a bit of a squeak, the back of her throat and her eyes burning, threatening to cry as she became completely overwhelmed with exactly how much she loved Callie.

She watched Callie's face, a face that was already covered in tears. No one had ever said anything like that to Callie ever before. She had never felt anything like this kind of love before. She managed to finally say what she had been holding onto for so long.

"I love you too, Arizona."

That was all the permission that Arizona needed and she moved, straddling Callie, and pulled her into the most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced. She pulled back after a few minutes and stared straight into Callie's eyes. "Will you go on a date with me tomorrow night, Calliope?"

Callie nodded. "Absolutely, yes." Arizona smiled and began to kiss her again. Callie's hands began to wander lower, pulling Arizona closer and closer to her. Arizona pulled back before she allowed herself to succumb to Callie's touch. "Not yet" she panted. "I want at least one date, let me woo you before we give into the physical side of this, Callie."

Callie nodded, pulling back and resting back on the chair, hands dropping to Arizona's thighs, massaging them with a smirk. Arizona immediately threw her head back and moaned, before grabbing Callie's wrists and pulling them up. "Hands where I can see them" she warned with a wink. Callie laughed and held her hands behind her head. "That was payback for all the torture in the bathroom!"

Arizona giggled. She knew it hadn't been fair, but it had been so hot to see Callie get so flustered. "I'm sorry. You just look so sexy when you get flustered."

Callie brought her in for a quick kiss. "Well, if you want me to control myself, you need to not be straddling me, because I think I only have seconds of restraint left in me, Arizona."

Arizona looked her directly in the eyes and the look in Callie's eye made her want to throw the date rule right out the window. But she calmed herself, and slowly pulled herself off Callie's lap, back to her side of the swing, but brought her feet up to rest of Callie's lap.

"Well let's enjoy our wine and get an early night in Calliope. There's a big day of wooing planned for tomorrow night."


End file.
